Trends in burn injury mortality in Spain (1979-2018): Sex-specific age-cohort-period effects.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies about burns mortality are often exclusively based on hospital and burn centre data. National population-based reports on this topic are rather limited. The aim of this study was to analyse sex- and age-specific mortality rates of burns in Spain during the period 1979-2018.

METHODS: Age-standardised burns mortality rates were calculated from death records and mid-year population data were provided by the Spanish National Statistics Institute. Joinpoint regression analyses were used to identify significant points of change in trends over time and to compute average annual per cent change (AAPC). Age, period and cohort effects were also analysed.

RESULTS: Mortality due to burn injury decreased in both sexes between 1979 and 2018: from the first quinquennium of this period up to the last one age-adjusted mortality rates decreased from 1.37 to 0.49 per 100,000 in men and from 0.96 to 0.26 per 100,000 in women.

CONCLUSIONS: Burns mortality rates in Spain have been decreasing during the last decades. Promotion of primary prevention measures should continue.