Mortality patterns prevalent among American Indian youth have not been
well documented. This investigation reports on mortality patterns amo
ng the Seneca Nation of Indians from January 1, 1955, through December
31, 1989. The study cohort consisted of 3,033 Seneca tribal members b
orn during the study period. Deaths occurring among cohort members you
nger than age 25 were identified through a computer match against New
York State vital record files. Sex-specific standardized mortality rat
ios were calculated on the basis of mortality patterns exhibited by th
e general population of New York State, exclusive of New York City. Ma
les exhibited significantly elevated mortality for all causes combined
, for deaths due to all accidents combined, for motor vehicle accident
s, and for suicide. Females demonstrated significantly elevated mortal
ity from all accidents combined, for motor vehicle accidents, and for
all other types of accidents. Age-specific mortality patterns also var
ied both by sex and by calendar time. These findings are important to
consider in the design of programs aimed at reducing premature mortali
ty among American Indian populations from preventable causes of death.