Descriptions of Maps

Description of Indian Health Service All-Area Maps

Each Indian Health Service (IHS) Area is listed with its age-adjusted mortality rate per 100,000 population by specific cause of injury. The colors of the maps correspond to where the Area rate would fall with relation to the national ranking of state rates for all racial groups combined from 1989 to 1998. The Areas colored red have the highest injury death rates and rank at or above the 95th percentile nationally—a ranking higher than 95% of all state rates. Areas colored blue are second highest and have rates that rank nationally between the 75th and 94th percentiles. Areas colored gray are the third highest, with rates that rank nationally between the 50th and 74th percentiles. Areas in white have the lowest and rank nationally below the 50th percentile. The rates for all U.S. races and combined IHS Areas are also listed on each map page.

Description of Indian Health Service Area-Specific Maps

The composite maps of the United States show all Indian Health Service (IHS) Areas and smaller cause-specific multiple maps for each Area. Color coding for individual Area maps is the same as for the composite maps. Below each Area map is the total of injury deaths by cause from 1989 to 1998, the age-adjusted rate for the Area and the United States, and the number of excess deaths for the Area. For each cause of injury, the total of excess deaths (1989–1998) is also estimated. Estimates of excess deaths were calculated by subtracting the combined Area rate from the national rate and multiplying the excess death rate by the Area’s total population. Excess deaths in a specific Area can be interpreted as additional Native American deaths because the injury mortality rate is higher than the all-races rate for states in that Area. Since estimates of excess death depend on an Area’s population, two IHS Areas with equal death rates could have different estimates of excess deaths.