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NCHS Data Brief Dec 2021This report presents final 2020 U.S. mortality data on deaths and death rates by demographic and medical characteristics. These data provide information on mortality...
This report presents final 2020 U.S. mortality data on deaths and death rates by demographic and medical characteristics. These data provide information on mortality patterns in U.S. residents by variables such as sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, and cause of death. Life expectancy estimates, age-adjusted death rates, age-specific death rates, 10 leading causes of death, and 10 leading causes of infant death were analyzed by comparing 2020 and 2019 final data (1).
Topics: Cause of Death; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Life Expectancy; Mortality; Sex Distribution; United States
PubMed: 34978528
DOI: No ID Found -
Revue de L'infirmiere Oct 2023The infant mortality rate (children under five) in Palestine is 21 deaths per 1,000 live births. Palestine has thus successfully reached the threshold set by the... (Review)
Review
The infant mortality rate (children under five) in Palestine is 21 deaths per 1,000 live births. Palestine has thus successfully reached the threshold set by the Millennium Development Goals for child mortality. However, this rate is higher than in neighboring countries. This indicator is extremely important as it is a highly sensitive indirect measure of population health, poverty and socio-economic development status, as well as the availability and quality of health services in a country. These are all factors that still present challenges in Palestine.
Topics: Child; Infant; Humans; Child Mortality; Infant Mortality; Health Services; Mortality
PubMed: 37838369
DOI: 10.1016/j.revinf.2023.08.009 -
European Journal of Epidemiology Nov 2023Life expectancy (LE) is an indicator of societal progress among rapidly aging populations. In recent decades, the displacement of deaths from cardiovascular disease...
BACKGROUND
Life expectancy (LE) is an indicator of societal progress among rapidly aging populations. In recent decades, the displacement of deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer have been key drivers in further extending LE on the continent, though improvements vary markedly by country, sex, and over time. This study provides a comparative overview of the age-specific contributions of CVD and cancer to increasing LE in the 27 European Union member states, plus the U.K.
METHODS
Cause-by-age decompositions of national changes in LE were conducted for the years 1995-1999 and 2015-2019 based on the standard approach of multiple decrement life tables to quantify the relative impact over time. The contributions of CVD and cancer mortality changes to differences in LE were computed by sex and age for each of the 28 countries. We examine the difference between the member states before 2004 ("founding countries") and those which accessed the EU after 2004 ("A10 countries").
RESULTS
Among men, declines in CVD mortality in the founding countries of the EU were larger contributors to increasing LE over the last decades than malignant neoplasms: 2.26 years were gained by CVD declines versus 1.07 years for cancer, with 2.23 and 0.84 years gained in A10 countries, respectively. Among women in founding countries, 1.81 and 0.54 additional life years were attributable to CVD and cancer mortality declines, respectively, while in A10 countries, the corresponding values were 2.33 and 0.37 years. Lung and stomach cancer in men, and breast cancer in women were key drivers of gains in LE due to cancer overall, though rising mortality rates from lung cancer diminished the potential impact of increasing female LE in both EU founding (e.g., France, Spain, and Sweden) and A10 countries (e.g., Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia), notably among cohorts aged 55-70 years. Over the 25 years, the LE gap between the two sets of countries narrowed from 6.22 to 5.59 years in men, and from 4.03 to 3.12 years for women, with diminishing female mortality from CVD as a determinative contributor.
CONCLUSION
This study underscores the continued existence of an East-West divide in life expectancy across the EU27 + 1, evident on benchmarking the founding vs. A10 countries. In EU founding countries, continuous economic growth alongside improved health care, health promotion and protection policies have contributed to steady declines in mortality from chronic diseases, leading to increases in life expectancy. In contrast, less favourable mortality trends in the EU A10 countries indicate greater economic and health care challenges, and a failure to implement effective health policies.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Cardiovascular Diseases; Life Expectancy; Aging; Lung Neoplasms; Mortality; Cause of Death
PubMed: 37676425
DOI: 10.1007/s10654-023-01039-8 -
The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics :... 2022This article looks to the past to consider how government officials, health professionals, and legal authorities have historically framed racial disparities in birth and...
This article looks to the past to consider how government officials, health professionals, and legal authorities have historically framed racial disparities in birth and the lasting impact these explanations have had on Black birthing experiences and outcomes.
Topics: Black People; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Maternal Mortality; Female
PubMed: 35244000
DOI: 10.1017/jme.2022.12 -
Journal of the American Geriatrics... Oct 2021Stroke and dementia are important causes of death in the United States and may be interrelated as competing risks for mortality. No previous studies have simultaneously...
BACKGROUND/IMPORTANCE
Stroke and dementia are important causes of death in the United States and may be interrelated as competing risks for mortality. No previous studies have simultaneously compared age- and sex-specific mortality trends between stroke and subtypes of dementia at a population level. Insights gained from this study can help identify high-risk populations and inform healthcare service requirements for managing stroke and dementia in the United States.
OBJECTIVES
To examine nationwide trends in mortality from stroke and subtypes of dementia in the United States by age group and sex.
DESIGN
Population-based cross-sectional study.
SETTING
U.S. mortality data from 2007 to 2016.
PARTICIPANTS
All U.S. residents whose primary cause of death was stroke, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or Lewy body dementia.
MEASUREMENTS
Age-adjusted mortality, mortality trends among men and women were analyzed separately using joinpoint regression.
RESULTS
From 2007 to 2016, age-adjusted stroke mortality fell by 21.6%. Age-adjusted mortality (per 1,000,000) for Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia increased by 1.2-fold, 2-fold, and 3-fold, respectively. Annual age-adjusted stroke mortality decreased by an average rate of 2.67% per year, while annual age-adjusted mortality for Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia increased by an average rate of 2.06%, 4.90%, and 12.13% per year, respectively. Mortality from stroke and dementia increased with age. Greater reductions in stroke mortality and greater increases in dementia mortality were seen in women than men; and in older than younger (<65 years) people.
CONCLUSIONS
There has been a striking rising trend in dementia mortality coincident with a reduction in stroke mortality in the United States. There are persistent age and sex disparities in stroke and dementia mortality trends. Our findings support the pathophysiological relationship between stroke and dementia, and have important implications for future research, healthcare planning, and provision.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cause of Death; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Risk Factors; Stroke; United States
PubMed: 34133024
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17322 -
The Lancet. Global Health Jan 2022Sierra Leone's child and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. However, little is known about the causes of premature mortality in the country. To...
BACKGROUND
Sierra Leone's child and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. However, little is known about the causes of premature mortality in the country. To rectify this, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone launched the Sierra Leone Sample Registration System (SL-SRS) of births and deaths. Here, we report cause-specific mortality from the first SL-SRS round, representing deaths from 2018 to 2020.
METHODS
The Countrywide Mortality Surveillance for Action platform established the SL-SRS, which involved conducting electronic verbal autopsies in 678 randomly selected villages and urban blocks throughout the country. 61 surveyors, in teams of four or five, enrolled people and ascertained deaths of individuals younger than 70 years in 2019-20, capturing verbal autopsies on deaths from 2018 to 2020. Centrally, two trained physicians independently assigned causes of death according to the International Classification of Diseases (tenth edition). SL-SRS death proportions were applied to 5-year mortality averages from the UN World Population Prospects (2019) to derive cause-specific death totals and risks of death nationally and in four Sierra Leone regions, with comparisons made with the Western region where Freetown, the capital, is located. We compared SL-SRS results with the cause-specific mortality estimates for Sierra Leone in the 2019 WHO Global Health Estimates.
FINDINGS
Between Sept 1, 2019, and Dec 15, 2020, we enrolled 343 000 people and ascertained 8374 deaths of individuals younger than 70 years. Malaria was the leading cause of death in children and adults, nationally and in each region, representing 22% of deaths under age 70 years in 2020. Other infectious diseases accounted for an additional 16% of deaths. Overall maternal mortality ratio was 510 deaths per 100 000 livebirths (95% CI 483-538), and neonatal mortality rate was 31·1 deaths per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 30·4-31·8), both among the highest rates in the world. Haemorrhage was the major cause of maternal mortality and birth asphyxia or trauma was the major cause of neonatal mortality. Excess deaths were not detected in the months of 2020 corresponding to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Half of the deaths occurred in rural areas and at home. If the Northern, Eastern, and Southern regions of Sierra Leone had the lower death rates observed in the Western region, about 20 000 deaths (just over a quarter of national total deaths in people younger than 70 years) would have been avoided. WHO model-based data vastly underestimated malaria deaths and some specific causes of injury deaths, and substantially overestimated maternal mortality.
INTERPRETATION
Over 60% of individuals in Sierra Leone die prematurely, before age 70 years, most from preventable or treatable causes. Nationally representative mortality surveys such as the SL-SRS are of high value in providing reliable cause-of-death information to set public health priorities and target interventions in low-income countries.
FUNDING
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Program.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; COVID-19; Cause of Death; Child; Child Mortality; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Malaria; Male; Maternal Mortality; Middle Aged; Mortality, Premature; Sierra Leone
PubMed: 34838202
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00459-9 -
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) Nov 2019
Topics: Humans; Mortality; Puerto Rico
PubMed: 31469694
DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001098 -
BMC Public Health Aug 2021Maternal mortality ratio is an important indicator to evaluate the health status in developing countries. Previous studies on maternal mortality ratio in China were...
BACKGROUND
Maternal mortality ratio is an important indicator to evaluate the health status in developing countries. Previous studies on maternal mortality ratio in China were limited to certain areas or short periods of time, and there was a lack of research on correlations with public health funding. This study aimed to assess the trends in the maternal mortality ratio, the causes of maternal death, and the correlations between maternal mortality ratio and total health financing composition in China from 1990 to 2019.
METHODS
Data in this longitudinal study were collected from the China Health Statistics Yearbooks (1991-2020) and China Statistical Yearbook 2020. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the trends in the maternal mortality ratio in China. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlations between national maternal mortality ratio and total health financing composition.
RESULTS
The yearly trends of the national, rural and urban maternal mortality ratio were - 2.290 (p < 0.01), - 3.167 (p < 0.01), and - 0.901 (p < 0.01), respectively. The gap in maternal mortality ratio between urban and rural areas has narrowed. Obstetric hemorrhage was the leading cause of maternal death. The mortalities ratios for the main causes of maternal death all decreased in China from 1990 to 2019. The hospital delivery rate in China increased, with almost all pregnant women giving birth in hospitals in 2019. Government health expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure was negatively correlated with the maternal mortality ratio (r = - 0.667, p < 0.01), and out-of-pocket health expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure was positively correlated with the maternal mortality ratio (r = 0.516, p < 0.01).
CONCLUSION
China has made remarkable progress in improving maternal survival, especially in rural areas. The maternal mortality ratio in China showed a downward trend over time. To further reduce the maternal mortality ratio, China should take effective measures to prevent obstetric hemorrhage, increase the quality of obstetric care, improve the efficiency and fairness of the government health funding, reduce income inequality, and strengthen the medical security system.
Topics: China; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Maternal Death; Maternal Mortality; Pregnancy; Rural Population
PubMed: 34380436
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11557-3 -
Inquiry : a Journal of Medical Care... 2023Over the years, several developing countries have been suffering from high infant and child mortality rates, however, according to the recent statistics, Pakistan falls... (Review)
Review
Over the years, several developing countries have been suffering from high infant and child mortality rates, however, according to the recent statistics, Pakistan falls high on the list. Our narrative review of copious research on this topic highlights that several factors, such as complications associated with premature births, high prevalence of birth defects, lack of vaccination, unsafe deliveries, poor breastfeeding practices, complications during delivery, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), poor socioeconomic conditions, and a struggling healthcare system, have influenced these rates. Bearing in mind the urgency of addressing the increased infant and child mortality rate in Pakistan, multiple steps must be taken in order to prevent unnecessary deaths. An effective initiative could be spreading awareness and education among women, as a lack of education among women has been indirectly linked to increased child mortality in Pakistan across many researches conducted on the issue. Furthermore, the government should invest in healthcare by hiring more physicians and providing better supplies and improving infrastructure, especially in underdeveloped areas, to decrease child mortality due to lack of clean water and poor hygiene. Lastly, telemedicine should be made common in order to provide easy access to women who cannot visit the hospital.
Topics: Child; Pregnancy; Infant; Female; Humans; Child Mortality; Pakistan; Infant Mortality; Delivery of Health Care; Mortality
PubMed: 37085986
DOI: 10.1177/00469580231167024 -
Archives of Disease in Childhood Nov 2020To compare cause-specific UK mortality in children and young people (CYP) with EU15+ countries (European Union countries pre-2004, Australia, Canada and Norway).
OBJECTIVE
To compare cause-specific UK mortality in children and young people (CYP) with EU15+ countries (European Union countries pre-2004, Australia, Canada and Norway).
DESIGN
Mortality estimates were coded from the WHO World Mortality Database. Causes of death were mapped using the Global Burden of Disease mortality hierarchy to 22 cause groups. We compared UK mortality by cause, age group and sex with EU15+ countries in 2015 (or latest available) using Poisson regression models. We then ranked the UK compared with the EU15+ for each cause.
SETTING
The UK and EU15+ countries.
PARTICIPANTS
CYP aged 1-19.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Mortality rate per 100 000 and number of deaths.
RESULTS
UK mortality in 2015 was significantly higher than the EU15+ for common infections (both sexes aged 1-9, boys aged 10-14 and girls aged 15-19); chronic respiratory conditions (both sexes aged 5-14); and digestive, neurological and diabetes/urological/blood/endocrine conditions (girls aged 15-19). UK mortality was significantly lower for transport injuries (boys aged 15-19). The UK had the worst to third worst mortality rank for common infections in both sexes and all age groups, and in five out of eight non-communicable disease (NCD) causes in both sexes in at least one age group. UK mortality rank for injuries in 2015 was in the top half of countries for most causes.
CONCLUSIONS
UK CYP mortality is higher than a group of comparable countries for common infections and multiple NCD causes. Excess UK CYP mortality may be amenable to health system strengthening.
Topics: Adolescent; Age Factors; Cause of Death; Child; Child Mortality; Child, Preschool; European Union; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Male; Mortality; Sex Factors; United Kingdom; Young Adult
PubMed: 32847797
DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2019-318097