OBJECTIVEThe mortality and trend of injury in 1991 - 2000, the distribution of causes of injuries by areas as well as disease burden in Chinese population were discussed.

METHODSData on mortality level and causes of injuries provided by National Disease Surveillance Program in 1991 - 2000, adjusted by under-reporting rate together with years of potential life lost (YPLL) and WPYLL of injuries and proportion of YPLL and WPYLL of total death, were calculated.

RESULTSThe mortality of injury was kept at a stable level from 1991 to 2000. The adjusted average death rates were 66.56/100,000 with 81.41/100,000 in males, 51.17/100,000 in females, and 38.68/100,000, 74.63/100,000 in urban and rural populations respectively. Death rates of injury in the east, central and west rural areas were 1:1.14:1.21 respectively. Injury was the main cause of death among children and youths. Traffic accident, suicide, drowning, poisoning and fall were main causes of injury accounting for 70 percent of all the injury mortality. Since 1990's, the death rate of traffic accident had been obviously increasing, YPLL and WPYLL in injury 2132 years/10,000 and 1587 years/10,000, respectively. The YPLL and WPYLL were 24.56% and 26.51% of total deaths.

CONCLUSIONThe disease burden of injury was heavy and the death of injury caused more social and economic losses owing to premature death. The increasing death rate of traffic accident called for more attention. Different effective control strategies should be formulated based on different death causes of injury and different target populations.