Exposure-related hypothermia mortality in the United States, 1970-79.

This study describes exposure-related hypothermia deaths in the United States from 1970 to 1979. Mortality risk from hypothermia increases with age; at all ages, non-White men are at highest risk and White women at lowest risk. Counts of deaths from hypothermia based on information from death certificate data may be understated. Effective social intervention to prevent hypothermia mortality and morbidity requires better public health surveillance and intensive case-finding.