Trends in Mortality Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Lebanon from 2017 to 2022

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical phase during which individuals develop habits that can significantly impact their future health and wellbeing. While youth is often perceived as a healthy period of life, it is alarming that over 1.4 million young people die annually, with a significant number of deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries. In Lebanon, there is a lack of recent studies that describe mortality trends and underlying causes of death (UCOD) among adolescents and young adults. Hence, this study aims to fill this crucial gap by examining mortality trends and common UCOD between 2017-2022. Adolescent mortality data in Lebanon from 2017 to 2022 were collected from the Ministry of Public Health's (MOPH) database. The three parameters to describe the outcome of interest were time, place, and persons. A Pearson's chi-square test was used to assess trend changes, with a p-value of ≤0.05 indicating significance. In Lebanon, a significant increase in mortality was observed among 10-14-year-old adolescents from 2017 to 2022. Young adults 20-24 had the highest percentage of death among all years compared to younger age groups. The highest percentage of deaths was noted in 2021 (18.5%), and males had a higher death rate than females (68.9% vs. 31.1%). The most common UCOD was external causes of death (35.7%), followed by cardiovascular/circulatory system diseases (20.4%) and neoplasms (9.2%). Adolescents aged 15-24 are more likely to die from external causes, while those aged 10-14 are more likely to die from neurological diseases. Mount Lebanon had the highest death rate (26%), with a significant increase in deaths in South Lebanon over the years. In conclusion, as mortality rates increase, particularly among younger age groups, there is a need to prioritize adolescent and young adult health on the national agenda to develop and implement evidence-based policies and reduce the influence of the leading UCOD. This study serves as an essential quality indicator (QI) of the current data collected by the government surveillance system, highlighting the need to further enhance data validity and reporting.