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BMC Medicine Mar 2020Globally, an estimated two-thirds of all deaths occur in the community, the majority of which are not attended by a physician and remain unregistered. Identifying and...
BACKGROUND
Globally, an estimated two-thirds of all deaths occur in the community, the majority of which are not attended by a physician and remain unregistered. Identifying and registering these deaths in civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems, and ascertaining the cause of death, is thus a critical challenge to ensure that policy benefits from reliable evidence on mortality levels and patterns in populations. In contrast to traditional processes for registration, death notification can be faster and more efficient at informing responsible government agencies about the event and at triggering a verbal autopsy for ascertaining cause of death. Thus, innovative approaches to death notification, tailored to suit the setting, can improve the availability and quality of information on community deaths in CRVS systems.
IMPROVING THE NOTIFICATION OF COMMUNITY DEATHS
Here, we present case studies in four countries (Bangladesh, Colombia, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea) that were part of the initial phases of the Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative at the University of Melbourne, each of which faces unique challenges to community death registration. The approaches taken promote improved notification of community deaths through a combination of interventions, including integration with the health sector, using various notifying agents and methods, and the application of information and communication technologies. One key factor for success has been the smoothing of processes linking notification, registration and initiation of a verbal autopsy interview. The processes implemented champion more active notification systems in relation to the passive systems commonly in place in these countries.
CONCLUSIONS
The case studies demonstrate the significant potential for improving death reporting through the implementation of notification practices tailored to a country's specific circumstances, including geography, cultural factors, structure of the existing CRVS system, and available human, information and communication technology resources. Strategic deployment of some, or all, of these innovations can result in rapid improvements to death notification systems and should be trialled in other settings.
Topics: Autopsy; Bangladesh; Cause of Death; Colombia; Data Collection; Hospitals; Humans; Myanmar; Papua New Guinea; Vital Statistics
PubMed: 32146904
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01524-x -
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly... Apr 2021CDC's National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using data from U.S. death certificates. Because of the time needed to...
CDC's National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using data from U.S. death certificates. Because of the time needed to investigate certain causes of death and to process and review data, final annual mortality data for a given year are typically released 11 months after the end of the calendar year. Daily totals reported by CDC COVID-19 case surveillance are timely but can underestimate numbers of deaths because of incomplete or delayed reporting. As a result of improvements in timeliness and the pressing need for updated, quality data during the global COVID-19 pandemic, NVSS expanded provisional data releases to produce near real-time U.S. mortality data.* This report presents an overview of provisional U.S. mortality data for 2020, including the first ranking of leading causes of death. In 2020, approximately 3,358,814 deaths occurred in the United States. From 2019 to 2020, the estimated age-adjusted death rate increased by 15.9%, from 715.2 to 828.7 deaths per 100,000 population. COVID-19 was reported as the underlying cause of death or a contributing cause of death for an estimated 377,883 (11.3%) of those deaths (91.5 deaths per 100,000). The highest age-adjusted death rates by age, race/ethnicity, and sex occurred among adults aged ≥85 years, non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black) and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons, and males. COVID-19 death rates were highest among adults aged ≥85 years, AI/AN and Hispanic persons, and males. COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020, after heart disease and cancer. Provisional death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can guide public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing numbers of deaths that are directly or indirectly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; COVID-19; Cause of Death; Child; Child, Preschool; Ethnicity; Female; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Racial Groups; United States; Vital Statistics; Young Adult
PubMed: 33830988
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7014e1 -
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly... May 2023The National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using U.S. death certificate...
The National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using U.S. death certificate data. Because of the time needed to investigate certain causes of death and to process and review death data, final annual mortality data for a given year are typically released 11 months after the end of the calendar year. Provisional data, which are based on the current flow of death certificate data to NCHS, provide an early estimate of deaths, before the release of final data. NVSS routinely releases provisional mortality data for all causes of death and for deaths associated with COVID-19.* This report is an overview of provisional U.S. mortality data for 2022, including a comparison with 2021 death rates. In 2022, approximately 3,273,705 deaths occurred in the United States. The estimated 2022 age-adjusted death rate decreased by 5.3%, from 879.7 per 100,000 persons in 2021 to 832.8. COVID-19 was reported as the underlying cause or a contributing cause in an estimated 244,986 (7.5%) of those deaths (61.3 deaths per 100,000). The highest overall death rates by age, race and ethnicity, and sex occurred among persons who were aged ≥85 years, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN), non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black), and male. In 2022, the four leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, and COVID-19. Provisional death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can guide public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing mortality, including deaths directly or indirectly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: Humans; Male; United States; Aged, 80 and over; Cause of Death; Pandemics; COVID-19; Black or African American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Mortality
PubMed: 37141156
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7218a3 -
NCHS Data Brief Feb 2021In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in the United States (1). As the second leading cause of death for ages 10-34 and the fourth leading...
In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in the United States (1). As the second leading cause of death for ages 10-34 and the fourth leading cause for ages 35-54, suicide is a major contributor to premature mortality (2). Recent reports have documented a steady increase in suicide rates over the past two decades (3-6). This Data Brief uses final mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System to update trends in suicide rates from 1999 through 2019 and to describe differences by sex, age group, and means of suicide.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Suicide, Completed; United States; Vital Statistics; Young Adult
PubMed: 33663651
DOI: No ID Found -
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly... May 2023The National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using U.S. death certificate...
The National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using U.S. death certificate data. Provisional data, which are based on the current flow of death certificate data to NCHS, provide an early estimate of deaths before the release of final data.* This report summarizes provisional U.S. COVID-19 death data for 2022. In 2022, COVID-19 was the underlying (primary) or contributing cause in the chain of events leading to 244,986 deaths that occurred in the United States. During 2021-2022, the estimated age-adjusted COVID-19-associated death rate decreased 47%, from 115.6 to 61.3 per 100,000 persons. COVID-19 death rates were highest among persons aged ≥85 years, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations, and males. In 76% of deaths with COVID-19 listed on the death certificate, COVID-19 was listed as the underlying cause of death. In the remaining 24% of COVID-19 deaths, COVID-19 was a contributing cause. As in 2020 and 2021, during 2022, the most common location of COVID-19 deaths was a hospital inpatient setting (59%). However, an increasing percentage occurred in the decedent's home (15%), or a nursing home or long-term care facility (14%). Provisional COVID-19 death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can help guide public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing COVID-19-associated mortality.
Topics: Male; Humans; United States; Cause of Death; COVID-19; Population Surveillance; Nursing Homes; Mortality
PubMed: 37141157
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7218a4 -
Bulletin of the World Health... Oct 2023To evaluate the precision and dependability of road traffic mortality data recorded in the World Health Organization Mortality Database and investigate how uncorrected...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the precision and dependability of road traffic mortality data recorded in the World Health Organization Mortality Database and investigate how uncorrected data influence vital mortality statistics used in traffic safety programmes worldwide.
METHODS
We assessed country and territory-specific data quality from 2015 to 2020 by calculating the proportions of five types of nonspecific cause of death codes related to road traffic mortality. We compared age-adjusted road traffic mortality and changes in the average annual mortality rate before and after correcting the deaths with nonspecific codes. We generated road traffic mortality projections with both corrected and uncorrected codes, and redistributed the data using the proportionate method.
FINDINGS
We analysed data from 124 countries and territories with at least one year of mortality data from 2015 to 2020. The number of countries and territories reporting more than 20% of deaths with ill-defined or unknown cause was 2; countries reporting injury deaths with undetermined intent was 3; countries reporting unspecified unintentional injury deaths was 21; countries reporting unspecified transport crash deaths was 3; and countries reporting unspecified unintentional road traffic deaths was 30. After redistributing deaths with nonspecific codes, road traffic mortality changed by greater than 50% in 7% (5/73) to 18% (9/51) of countries and territories.
CONCLUSION
Nonspecific codes led to inaccurate mortality estimates in many countries. We recommend that injury researchers and policy-makers acknowledge the potential pitfalls of relying on raw or uncorrected road traffic mortality data and instead use corrected data to ensure more accurate estimates when improving road traffic safety programmes.
Topics: Humans; Accidents, Traffic; Vital Statistics; Databases, Factual; World Health Organization; Records; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 37772197
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.23.289683 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Feb 2022Although it is known that cancer mortality rate varies depending on occupations in Japan, differences in female cancer mortality rate depending on occupational classes...
BACKGROUND
Although it is known that cancer mortality rate varies depending on occupations in Japan, differences in female cancer mortality rate depending on occupational classes have not been analyzed using the Vital Statistics in Japan. In this study, we analyzed the Vital Statistics data in Japan from 1995 to 2015, and revealed differences in cancer mortality rate depending on occupational classes among Japanese women.
METHODS
The Vital Statistics data by occupations from 1995 to 2015 were obtained from the "Report of Vital Statistics : Occupational and Industrial Aspects" in Japan, and data on mortality for cancer in all sites, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and uterine cancer were used. We classified main occupation categories into non-manual workers and manual workers, and calculated age-standardized mortality rate for each of the occupational class, year, age group, and type of cancer and its annual percent change.
RESULTS
Age-standardized mortality rates for non-manual workers (222.0 per 100,000 persons in 1995 and 143.8 per 100,000 persons in 2015) were higher in cancer in all sites than those for manual workers (127.6 per 100,000 persons in 1995 and 103.7 per 100,000 persons in 2015) throughout the years. However, age-standardized mortality rates showed a significant decreasing trend between 1995 and 2015 for non-manual workers, and the absolute value of annual percent change was higher in non-manual workers than in manual workers. As a result, a difference in age-standardized mortality rates for cancer in all sites between the two types of occupational classes decreased throughout the years.
CONCLUSION
A further study investigating differences in physical or behavioral characteristics of female non-manual and manual workers is needed in order to understand the key factors for the higher cancer mortality rate in non-manual workers.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Japan; Middle Aged; Mortality; Neoplasms; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Health; Occupations; Women's Health
PubMed: 35225459
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.2.475 -
Canadian Journal of Public Health =... Apr 2023The objective of this paper is to describe the trend of newborn hospitalizations with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in Canada, between 2010 and 2020, and to examine...
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this paper is to describe the trend of newborn hospitalizations with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in Canada, between 2010 and 2020, and to examine severity indicators for these hospitalizations.
METHODS
National hospitalization data (excluding Quebec) from the Canadian Institute for Health Information's Discharge Abstract Database, from January 2010 to March 2021, and Statistics Canada's Vital Statistics Birth Database were used. Analyses were performed to examine NAS hospitalizations by year and quarter, and by severity indicators of length of stay, Special Care Unit admission and status upon discharge. Severity indicators were further stratified by gestational age at birth.
RESULTS
An increasing number and rate of NAS hospitalizations in Canada between 2010 (n = 1013, 3.5 per 1000 live births) and 2020 (n = 1755, 6.3 per 1000 live births) were identified. A seasonal pattern was observed, where rates of NAS were lowest from April to June and highest from October to March. Mean length of stay in acute inpatient care was approximately 15 days and 71% of NAS hospitalizations were admitted to the Special Care Unit. Hospitalizations for pre-term births with NAS had longer durations and greater rates of Special Care Unit admissions compared to term births with NAS.
CONCLUSION
The number and rate of NAS hospitalizations in Canada increased during the study, and some infants required a significant amount of specialized healthcare. Additional research is required to determine what supports and education for pregnant people can reduce the incidence of NAS hospitalizations.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Infant; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; Canada; Hospitalization; Incidence; Time Factors; Opioid-Related Disorders
PubMed: 36482143
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00726-5 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Mar 2020Cancer projections to the current year help in policy development, planning of programs and allocation of resources. We sought to provide an overview of the expected...
BACKGROUND
Cancer projections to the current year help in policy development, planning of programs and allocation of resources. We sought to provide an overview of the expected incidence and mortality of cancer in Canada in 2020 in follow-up to the report.
METHODS
We obtained incidence data from the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System (1984-1991) and Canadian Cancer Registry (1992-2015). Mortality data (1984-2015) were obtained from the Canadian Vital Statistics - Death Database. All databases are maintained by Statistics Canada. Cancer incidence and mortality counts and age-standardized rates were projected to 2020 for 23 cancer types by sex and geographic region (provinces and territories) for all ages combined.
RESULTS
An estimated 225 800 new cancer cases and 83 300 cancer deaths are expected in Canada in 2020. The most commonly diagnosed cancers are expected to be lung overall (29 800), breast in females (27 400) and prostate in males (23 300). Lung cancer is also expected to be the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for 25.5% of all cancer deaths, followed by colorectal (11.6%), pancreatic (6.4%) and breast (6.1%) cancers. Incidence and mortality rates will be generally higher in the eastern provinces than in the western provinces.
INTERPRETATION
The number of cancer cases and deaths remains high in Canada and, owing to the growing and aging population, is expected to continue to increase. Although progress has been made in reducing deaths for most major cancers (breast, prostate and lung), there has been limited progress for pancreatic cancer, which is expected to be the third leading cause of cancer death in Canada in 2020. Additional efforts to improve uptake of existing programs, as well as to advance research, prevention, screening and treatment, are needed to address the cancer burden in Canada.
Topics: Canada; Female; Forecasting; Humans; Incidence; Male; Neoplasms; Sex Factors
PubMed: 32122974
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.191292 -
Journal of Safety Research Sep 2021Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children and youth aged 1-19 in the United States. The purpose of this report is to describe how unintentional...
BACKGROUND
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children and youth aged 1-19 in the United States. The purpose of this report is to describe how unintentional injury death rates among children and youth aged 0-19 years have changed during 2010-2019.
METHOD
CDC analyzed 2010-2019 data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to determine two-year average annual number and rate of unintentional injury deaths for children and youth aged 0-19 years by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, mechanism, county urbanization level, and state.
RESULTS
From 2010-2011 to 2018-2019, unintentional injury death rates decreased 11% overall-representing over 1,100 fewer annual deaths. However, rates increased among some groups-including an increase in deaths due to suffocation among infants (20%) and increases in motor-vehicle traffic deaths among Black children (9%) and poisoning deaths among Black (37%) and Hispanic (50%) children. In 2018-2019, rates were higher for males than females (11.3 vs. 6.6 per 100,000 population), children aged < 1 and 15-19 years (31.9 and 16.8 per 100,000) than other age groups, among American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) and Blacks than Whites (19.4 and 12.4 vs. 9.0 per 100,000), motor-vehicle traffic (MVT) than other causes of injury (4.0 per 100,000), and rates increased as rurality increased (6.8 most urban [large central metro] vs. 17.8 most rural [non-core/non-metro] per 100,000). From 2010-2011 to 2018-2019, 49 states plus DC had stable or decreasing unintentional injury death rates; death rates increased only in California (8%)-driven by poisoning deaths. Conclusion and Practical Application: While the overall injury death rates improved, certain subgroups and their caregivers can benefit from focused prevention strategies, including infants and Black, Hispanic, and AIAN children. Focusing effective strategies to reduce suffocation, MVT, and poisoning deaths among those at disproportionate risk could further reduce unintentional injury deaths among children and youth in the next decade.
Topics: Accidental Injuries; Adolescent; Alaska Natives; Cause of Death; Child; Ethnicity; Female; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Infant; Male; Rural Population; United States; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 34399929
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2021.07.001