Injuries comprise the main group of causes of mortality among women 15 to 35 years of age in Brazil. The present study aimed to improve the knowledge concerning mortality by injuries, using a descriptive population-based approach, including all 869 death certificates for resident 10-49-year-old women from Cascavel, Paraná State, who died between 1991 and 2000. Mortality from injuries was analyzed according to cause, age, and calendar year. Pearson chi-square was applied at p < 0.05. Injuries were the main group of causes of death up to 34 years of age and for all women 15-45 (coefficient 29.4/100,000 women) and the third most common among women 35-45. Traffic accidents were the first external cause of death in all age groups. We conclude that female mortality in Cascavel can be greatly reduced by interventions addressed to control external causes of death among young women.
Women; External Causes; Cause of Death; Mortality
