The Scope and Consequences of Nonfatal Injury for Later Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes

• In Event: 289 - Regular Session. Health and Mortality in Later Life

Abstract

The percentage of the U.S. population aged 65 and older is projected to double to 89 million by 2050. Because of the projected growth in the older adult population, accurate descriptions and projections of patterns of morbidity and mortality have become more important than ever. The current study focuses on nonfatal injuries as a major contributor to morbidity and mortality for older adults. Although there are 45 different federal data systems operated by 16 different agencies and 3 private injury registry systems that provide nationwide injury-related data, only a handful of these data sources are suitable for estimating and projecting injury incidence for older adults. We begin the current study by comparing nonfatal injury incidence among older adults in the U.S., for the 2004-2014 time period, produced using all six available nationally representative data sets with information on injury incidence for older adults. We then use linked NHIS-NDI and NHIS-MEPS data to model associations between serious and non-serious (nonfatal) injury incidence and later life morbidity and mortality outcomes. Last, we use our estimated incidence and hazard rates in combination with published U.S. Census Bureau population projections to project nonfatal injury-related morbidity and mortality for older adults.

Authors

• Julia A. Rivera Drew, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

• Dongjuan Xu, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities