This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Bioterrorism  • Pediatrics  • Adolescent Medicine  • Alert me on articles by topic

JAMA. 2006;296:510-511.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

MMWR. 2006;55:361-364

1 figure, 1 table omitted

Interpersonal violence causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide and poses a considerable economic burden, equivalent to 4%-5% of the gross national product in certain countries.¹ The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory with a 2004 population of approximately 3.9 million.² In Puerto Rico, homicides were the 12th leading cause of death overall in 2003, ranking fifth among males and 15th among females.³ This report summarizes an analysis of death certificate data on violent deaths of children and young adults in Puerto Rico during 1999-2003, which determined that 93% of homicide victims aged <30 years were young males, the most common method of homicide was assault by firearm discharge, and the rate of homicide among males aged 25-29 years increased during the period. To address this problem, the Puerto Rican government has initiated a comprehensive strategy that includes enhancing an integrated surveillance . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Reported by: