engleski

Effect of War on Weapon-Related Deaths in Croatian Children and Youth

Objective: To identify trends in weapon-related deaths associated with Homeland war (1991-1995) among children in Croatia. Design: Retrospective review. Participants: Croatian children aged from birth through 19 who died as the result of a weapon-related injury from 1986 through 2005. Outcome measures: Number and rate of injury deaths among Croatian children before, during and after the war. Results: Compared with the period before the war, weapon-related homicide and suicide rates increased by more than 3-fold, and unintentional weapon-related deaths increased by more than 6-fold during the war. These increases persisted for 5 years following the end of the war and decreased more than 5 years after the war. Death rates from nonweapon causes did not increase during this period. Overall, 81.9% of the weapon-related deaths caused by firearms and 18.1% were caused by explosive devices. Conclusions: The Homeland War led to an increase in weapon-related deaths of all intents. Programs that focus on the prevention of weapon-related injuries should be integrated into programs that assist countries in rebuilding after political unrest.

children; casualties; firearms; injuries; war

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