Characteristics of the decedents included in the study sample by type of investigation into the death and the odds that the case would be sent to a discretionary inquest
| Characteristic | Discretionary inquests, no. (%)(n = 696) | Administrative investigations, no. (%)*(n = 19 126) | Unadjusted OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decedent | |||
| Sex | |||
| Male (reference) | 463 (66.5) | 13 813 (72.2) | 1.00 |
| Female | 233 (33.5) | 5 311 (27.8) | 1.31 (1.11–1.54) |
| Age, yr | |||
| 45–64 (reference) | 166 (23.9) | 4 750 (24.8) | 1.00 |
| < 18 | 134 (19.3) | 1 077 (5.6) | 3.56 (2.81–4.51) |
| 18–44 | 315 (45.3) | 9 144 (47.8) | 0.99 (0.81–1.19) |
| ≥ 65 | 81 (11.6) | 4 152 (21.7) | 0.56 (0.43–0.73) |
| Marital status | |||
| Divorced or separated (reference) | 23 (3.3) | 1 699 (8.9) | 1.00 |
| Married† | 268 (38.5) | 6 254 (32.7) | 3.17 (2.06–4.86) |
| Never married | 221 (31.8) | 3 288 (17.2) | 4.97 (3.22–7.66) |
| Widowed | 10 (1.4) | 466 (2.4) | 1.59 (0.75–3.35) |
| Not known | 174 (25.0) | 7 419 (38.8) | 1.73 (1.12–2.68) |
| Employment status | |||
| Employed (reference) | 258 (37.1) | 6 583 (34.4) | 1.00 |
| Retired/pensioner | 127 (18.2) | 5 534 (28.9) | 0.59 (0.47–0.73) |
| Unemployed | 92 (13.2) | 2 909 (15.2) | 0.81 (0.63–1.03) |
| Student | 86 (12.4) | 982 (5.1) | 2.23 (1.73–2.88) |
| Other | 30 (4.3) | 521 (2.7) | 1.47 (1.00–2.17) |
| Child not at school | 45 (6.5) | 331 (1.7) | 3.47 (2.48–4.85) |
| Not known | 58 (8.3) | 2 266 (11.8) | 0.65 (0.49–0.87) |
| Socioeconomic status, quintile‡ | |||
| 1 (poorest) (reference) | 137 (19.7) | 3 712 (19.4) | 1.00 |
| 2 | 108 (15.5) | 2 937 (15.4) | 1.00 (0.77–1.29) |
| 3 | 137 (19.7) | 3 062 (16.0) | 1.21 (0.95–1.54) |
| 4 | 173 (24.9) | 4 782 (25.0) | 0.98 (0.78–1.23) |
| 5 (richest) | 118 (17.0) | 4 202 (22.0) | 0.76 (0.59–0.98) |
| Cause of death | |||
| Poisoning (reference) | 47 (6.8) | 2 348 (12.3) | 1.00 |
| Intentional self-harm | 61 (8.8) | 6 822 (35.7) | 0.45 (0.30–0.66) |
| Transport | 266 (38.2) | 4 779 (25.0) | 2.78 (2.03–3.81) |
| Drowning, choking, suffocation | 107 (15.4) | 939 (4.9) | 5.69 (4.01–8.09) |
| Falls | 9 (1.3) | 895 (4.7) | 0.50 (0.25–1.03) |
| Assault | 12 (1.7) | 615 (3.2) | 0.97 (0.51–1.85) |
| Complications of medical care | 86 (12.4) | 434 (2.3) | 9.90 (6.84–14.33) |
| Other | 85 (12.2) | 1 604 (8.4) | 2.65 (1.84–3.80) |
| Not known | 23 (3.3) | 690 (3.6) | 1.67 (1.00–2.76) |
| Investigation | |||
| Year of notification | |||
| 2000/01 (reference) | 133 (19.1) | 2726 (14.3) | 1.00 |
| 2002/03 | 197 (28.3) | 4520 (23.6) | 0.89 (0.71–1.12) |
| 2004/05 | 188 (27.0) | 4890 (25.6) | 0.79 (0.63–0.99) |
| 2006/07 | 178 (25.6) | 6990 (36.5) | 0.52 (0.42–0.66) |
| Jurisdiction | |||
| Victoria (reference) | 470 (67.5) | 10 984 (57.4) | 1.00 |
| South Australia | 72 (10.3) | 3193 (16.7) | 0.53 (0.41–0.68) |
| Queensland | 50 (7.2) | 2400 (12.5) | 0.49 (0.36–0.65) |
| Tasmania | 51 (7.3) | 1472 (7.7) | 0.81 (0.60–1.09) |
| Northern Territory | 53 (7.6) | 1077 (5.6) | 1.15 (0.86–1.54) |
Note: CI = confidence interval, OR = odds ratio
↵* Excludes two cases in which sex was not known and three cases in which age was not known.
↵† Includes de facto relationships (e.g., common-law marriages).
↵‡ Excludes 454 cases (23 inquests and 431 administrative investigations) in which socioeconomic status could not be imputed.