Caractéristiques régionales des décès attribuables à une intoxication aiguë liée à une substance : analyse descriptive d’une étude nationale d’examen des dossiers des données de coroners et de médecins légistes

Plain language summary

Over the last decade, Canada has experienced a substantial increase in people dying from substance-related acute toxicity. Examining mortality rates by area-level characteristics can identify disproportionately affected populations and inform strategies to reduce substance-related acute toxicity deaths (ATDs). Using area-based methods, this study sought to examine substance-related acute toxicity death rates for varying community population sizes, and indicators of deprivation in Canada from 2016 to 2017. Age-adjusted death rates were calculated. The highest rate of death was in mid-sized urban communities with populations of 100,000 to 499,999 residents (15.9 per 100,000 population), followed by larger cities of 500,000 to 1,499,999 (15.1 per 100,000 population). The highest percentage of deaths and rate of deaths were among people who resided in neighbourhoods with the highest levels of residential instability (neighbourhood population changes), and situational vulnerability (housing challenges, lower education, population identifying as Indigenous). This study provides novel evidence on the context surrounding deaths to inform responses to reduce ATDs in Canada and serves as an important baseline that can be used to measure future progress.

Subject

• Health,
• Poisoning

Peer review

Internal Review