Hello -
Health Canada provides a list of major leading causes of death for
young males. You can find it here:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/publicat/lcd-pcd97/
I will provide an interpretation. For the 20-24 age group (the next
age group includes those from ages 25-65, and are inappropriate to
your question):
45.3% - unintentional injuries - Accidents
26.2% - Suicide
5.2% - cancer
3.6% - homicide
For accidents: Males typically have a higher accident rate because of
the innate risk-taking behaviour of males. Of all deaths resulting
from accidents, the greatest percentage comes from motor vehicle
incidents. Therefore, avoiding dangerous activities such as drunk
driving and speeding would reduce your risk of death. When travelling
home from parties, make sure that a sober person is driving. As well,
general precautions that minimize risks (i.e. don't jaywalk, play less
aggressive sports, ensure that your workplace is safe) would reduce
the death rate from accidents.
For suicide: If you have problems, then *seek help immediately*. Don't
let your personal problems develop into a situation that may lead to
suicide.
For cancer: It is not known what directly causes cancer, though
researchers do know of an innumerable number of carcinogens. Go with
the tried, tested and true:
- minimize radiation exposure (nuclear power plants, X-rays, UV rays)
- put on sunscreen with a high SPF rating; wear sunglasses
- avoid carcinogens (wear protective gear when dealing with chemicals
like benzene or formaldehyde)
- don't smoke (causes lung cancer)
- don't drink alcohol (may cause liver cancer, hepatitis).
Of course, one cannot totally avoid certain factors, like the sun or
second-hand smoke. However, by minimizing your exposure, you
dramatically reduce the risk of developing cancer.
For homicide: Don't make enemies! Choose your friends wisely; don't
get into crime. Remember, your attitude should be prevention, not
defence! Purchasing a gun (to defend yourself from a potential
murderer) may increase the risk of suicide.
With regards to being a victim of crime: Police advise citizens to
*never fight back* when they are attacked by burglars or thieves. To
discourage these criminals from attacking you or your property in the
first place, consider the following:
- home alarms
- car alarms
Most importantly, be aware of your surroundings. If the would-be
criminal sees that you are aware and alert, chances are that he/she
will not attack you. This would minimize your risk of death.
Hope this helps!
Sources
Protect yourself from crime
http://www.sarasotasheriff.org/pyfcrime.asp
http://www.disastercenter.com/cdc/
http://www.benbest.com/lifeext/causes.html
http://cancer.about.com/library/bltoprisks.htm?PM=ss12_cancer
Search strategy
Google:
causes of death accidents
leading causes of death males |
Clarification of Answer by
supermacman-ga
on
15 May 2003 13:48 PDT
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
"Unintentional injuries" breakdown as follows:
Year 2000 US Ages 25-34 All Races Males
MV Traffic - 55% (Motor Vehicle Traffic)
Poisoning - 20.1%
Drowning - 4.0%
Fall - 3.0%
Other land transport (train, etc.) - 2.3%
Other Spec (classificable) - 2.2%
Fire/burn - 1.8%
Suffocation - 1.7%
Pedestrian, other - 1.5%
Unspecified - 1.4%
Struck by/against - 1.3%
Firearm - 1.2%
Machinery - 1.0%
Natural/Environment - 0.9%
Other Spec (non-classifiable) - 0.9%
Pedal cyclist, other - 0.1%
Cut, pierce - 0.1%
SOURCE: http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus.html
For suicide risk factors:
I would point you to this web site - it offers a comprehensive list of
risk factors (that are applicable to both youths and adults) and
'protective factors'.
http://www.georgiasuicidepreventionplan.org/Risk_Factors.html
Additional links
A comprehensive site from the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention, detailing suicide risk factors and prevention
http://www.afsp.org/about/youth.htm
Good information about warning signs and what to do
http://www.sccgov.org/channel/0,4770,chid%253D16978%2526sid%253D13450,00.html
Search strategy
risk factors suicide
causes of death
|
