Injury Prevention

The New Mexico Injury Prevention Strategic Plan addressed the tremendous toll that injuries exact on New Mexico – the pain and suffering, the cost, often the years of potential life lost or changed forever. It also acknowledges that change is needed to insure that effective, evidence-based injury prevention strategies are adequately funded and implemented.

For this report, deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department visits of New Mexico residents that occurred in 2010-2012 were analyzed by all injuries and the following; Causes: motor vehicle, poisoning, firearm, fall, drowning, fire; Violence-related: suicide and suicide attempt, homicide and assault injuries; and Injury diagnoses: hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries.

The 2014 Child Fatality Review Annual Report summarizes and analyzes information about circumstances surrounding the deaths of New Mexico residents < 18 years whose deaths from 2011 through 2013 were reviewed. It also presents recommendations from the comprehensive and confidential reviews of certain child deaths resulting from injury by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals.

The 2013 Child Fatality Review Annual Report summarizes and analyzes information about circumstances surrounding the deaths of New Mexico residents < 18 years who died from 2010 through 2012. It also presents recommendations from the comprehensive and confidential reviews of certain child deaths resulting from injury by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals.

Traumatic Brain Injury is caused by a blow to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts brain function. It can affect memory, judgment, sleep patterns, reflexes, speech, coordination, balance and behavior (personality changes, aggression, acting out).

Unintentional fall-related injuries are a serious public health problem, especially among adults 65 years of age and older. In New Mexico (NM) for 2012, unintentional fall-related injury was the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for all ages, behind poisoning and motor vehicle traffic injuries.

This report examines five years of traumatic brain injury deaths from 2007 through 2011 and traumatic brain injury hospitalizations for the years 2009-2011. Starting in 2009, the diagnostic fields in the hospital discharge data increased from nine fields to eighteen fields. The external cause of injury code fields increased from one field to three fields. E-codes designate the cause of the injury hospitalization, such as a fall or motor vehicle traffic injury.

Domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement in 2010 (19,587) represent a 31% decrease since 2005. There is also progress to report with regard to identifying the victim in domestic violence cases. Training of police officers on identifying a primary aggressor in domestic violence incidents has resulted in better victim identification by law enforcement, resulting in a 19% increase in domestic violence victims identified since 2005.

This report represents 11 years of publications on the nature and incidence of sexual assault in New Mexico from the Central Repository. The challenges to prevent and respond to sexual assault in New Mexico are unique and somewhat daunting because it is difficult to identify those at risk for sexual assault, identify perpetrators, and provide access to services for sexual assault victims.

This report presents information and recommendations from the comprehensive and confidential reviews of child deaths by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals. Death certificate data, provided by the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, were used to complete the epidemiologic analysis of child death in New Mexico. The report focuses on deaths of New Mexico residents under 18 years of age who died between 2008 and 2010.

This report represents 11 years of publications on the nature and incidence of sexual assault in New Mexico from the Central Repository. The challenges to prevent and respond to sexual assault in New Mexico are unique and somewhat daunting because it is difficult to identify those at risk for sexual assault, identify perpetrators, and provide access to services for sexual assault victims.

Firearms have been a leading cause of injury deaths in New Mexico, claiming about 300 lives per year among the state’s residents. In 2010, firearm injury deaths accounted for approximately 17% of all New Mexico injury deaths. A majority of the firearm deaths were suicides (65%), followed by homicides 30%. Firearm deaths of unintentional, undetermined, and other intent accounted for 5% of firearm deaths.

New Mexico began tracking safety belt use in 1982. Since 1993, the Traffic Safety Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Transportation Department has contracted with the New Mexico Department of Health, Epidemiology and Response Division, Office of Injury Prevention, to conduct observational studies of motor vehicle seatbelt use using protocols and procedures approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1998.

This report presents information and recommendations from the comprehensive and confidential reviews of child deaths by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals. Death certificate data, provided by the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, were used to complete the epidemiologic analysis of child death in New Mexico. The report focuses on deaths of New Mexico residents under 18 years of age who died between 2006 and 2009.

In 2007, 679 violent deaths occurred in New Mexico: 60.9% were suicides, 25.5% were homicides, 12.1% were deaths of undetermined intent and less than 1% of deaths were classified as unintentional firearm deaths. Eight incidents involved multiple victims, either as multiple victim homicides or a homicide followed by a suicide. New Mexico residents accounted for 95.0% of the violent deaths that occurred in 2007.

For our 2010 domestic violence report we present Domestic Violence Trends in New Mexico, 2005-2009. In addition to our analysis of 2009 data, we reviewed most of the Central Repository domestic violence data for this five-year period to give perspective and context to the information reported.

This report compares helmet use observations for 2010, 2008 and 2007 in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Roswell, and Santa Fe. Bicycles and skateboards were the most frequently observed vehicles, accounting for 647 in 2007, 420 in 2008, and 503 in 2010. A total of 25 observations of in-line skaters and scooters were made in 2008 and 45 were made in 2010.

In 2009, the Central Repository received quarterly sexual assault reports from participating law enforcement agencies across New Mexico, representing 95% of the state population. Additionally, monthly standardized reports were submitted by statewide service providers and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners programs.

We can prevent sexual violence from happening in New Mexico. We must work together. We must take a stand. We must share the vision of a New Mexico that is sexual violence-free, and then take the action necessary to make that vision a reality. This Strategic Plan will help us move another step forward. Our citizens’ lives and livelihoods are depending on it.

The Survey of Violence Victimization in New Mexico conducted in 2005 found that 1 in 4 New Mexican adults are victims of domestic violence in their lifetime. For the year, the survey estimated 201,267 incidents of domestic violence perpetrated upon 36,594 victims. In 2008, reports from law enforcement identified 18,485 domestic violence incidents perpetrated upon 19,570 victims.

The purpose of this report is to identify the problem, as well as the risk factors associated with violent death in the state. Data collection began on January 1, 2005. Information is collected on all incidents involving at least one violent death. All violent deaths of New Mexico residents, and also violent deaths of non-residents that occur in the state, are included.

In 2007, the Central Repository received quarterly sexual assault reports from 101 participating law enforcement agencies across New Mexico, the highest number of participating agencies since it was established in 1999. We are most grateful for the increasing number of collaborations and look forward to our continued success working together.

This report describes the 2007 and 2008 helmet use observation studies and compares the findings for the cities that participated in both years. Bicycles and skateboards were the most frequently observed vehicles, accounting for 600 observations in 2007 and 420 in 2008. The combined skate and scooter riders, with 20 observations (2007) and 25 observations (2008) in the five cities, were too few for reliable analysis.

In 2006, 588 violent deaths occurred in New Mexico. Six incidents involved multiple victims, either as multiple victim homicides or a homicide followed by a suicide. Of the 588 violent deaths that occurred, 63.3% were suicides, 21.9% were homicides, 12.6% were deaths of undetermined intent and there were 1% each for unintentional firearms deaths and legal intervention deaths. Of the 588 violent deaths that occurred in 2006, 551, or 93.7%, were New Mexico residents.