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KWIC
KWIC Indicator Narrative

Five Leading Causes of Death by Region (Three-Year Average)

Data Provider: NYS Department of Health


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Related Indicators:

  • Leading Causes of Death by Region less than 1 yrs [view data]
  • Leading Causes of Death by Region 1-4 yrs [view data]
  • Leading Causes of Death by Region 5-9 yrs [view data]
  • Leading Causes of Death by Region 10-14 yrs [view data]
  • Leading Causes of Death by Region 15-19 yrs [view data]

Life Area:

Physical and Emotional Health

Definition:

This category summarizes the five leading causes of death among New York State children, and the percentage they represent of all deaths within each age group.

Because many of the Physical and Emotional Health Indicators describe relatively rare events in many counties, the numbers and rates for these indicators are presented as three-year averages. Three-year averaging improves the reliability of the data in counties with small populations, where slight variations in the number of events can result in large fluctuations in their annual rates. So that all of the Physical and Emotional Health Indicators can be consistently presented, all are presented as three-year averages.

Significance:

One important way to identify threats to the health of children and youth is to examine causes of their death by age group. The leading causes of death can be used as a tool to estimate incidence, and then to target resources and programs to focus on prevention.

Note:

Three-year averaging improves the reliability of the data where slight variations in the numbers can result in large fluctuations in the annual rates.

Findings:

Infants less than one year old

  • Conditions originating in the perinatal period is the leading cause of death in all three regions New York State (55.6 percent), New York City (55.6 percent) and Rest of State (55.7 percent).
  • Congenital anomalies ranked as the second most frequent cause of infant deaths accounting for 17.6 percent in New York State, 18.1 percent in New York City and 17.3 percent in Rest of State.

Children ages 1 through 4 years

  • In New York State, non-motor vehicle injury was the leading cause of death among children aged 1 through 4 years accounted for 16.8 percent of deaths. The next two causes were malignant neoplasms (13.0 percent) and congenital anomalies (10.9 percent).
  • In New York City, the four most frequent causes of death were congenital anomalies (15.0 percent), malignant neoplasms (13.8 percent) and homicide and legal intervention and non-motor Vehicle Injury (both at 12.5 percent).
  • The three most frequent causes of death in the Rest of State were non-motor vehicle injury (20.0 percent), malignant neoplasms (12.4 percent) and congenital anomalies (7.6 percent).

Children ages 5 through 9 years

  • Malignant neoplasms was the most frequent reason for the death of children aged 5 to 9 years in New York State (22.6 percent), New York City (22.2 percent) and Rest of State (23.0 percent).
  • At the state level, the next causes of death had similar percents: non-motor vehicle injury (10.4 percent), congenital anomalies (8.7 percent), motor vehicle injury (8.7 percent), and homicide and legal intervention.
  • In New York City, motor vehicle injury and congenital anomalies was ranked as the second most frequent reason, accounting for 11.1 percent of death among children in this age group.
  • In Rest of State, the next most frequent cause of death were non-motor vehicle injuries (13.1 percent).

Youth ages 10 through 14 years

  • Malignant neoplasms was the most frequent reason for the death of youth aged 10 to 14 years in New York State (15.9 percent), New York City (15.3 percent) and Rest of State (16.5 percent).
  • At the state level, the next causes of death had similar percents: motor vehicle injury and non-motor vehicle injury (10.9 percent), and suicide (10.1 percent).
  • In New York City, the next most frequent causes of death among youth were suicide, chronic lower respiratory disease and non-motor vehicle injury (all at 8.5 percent).
  • In Rest of State, the second through fourth ranked causes of death were motor vehicle injury (13.9 percent), non-motor vehicle injury (12.7 percent), and suicide (11.4 percent).

Youth ages 15 through 19 years

  • Among young adolescents in New York State and Rest of State the top cause of death was motor vehicle related 19.1 and 23.4, respectively.
  • In New York State, the second through fourth causes for mortality among youths were suicide (16.6 percent), homicide and legal intervention (14.5 percent), and non-motor vehicle injury (13.3 percent).
  • In New York City, Homicide and Legal intervention ranked the highest (24.3 percent), followed by suicide (13.2 percent), non-motor vehicle injury (12.5 percent) and motor vehicle Injury (11.0 percent).
  • Suicide was ranked second at 18.4 percent followed by non-motor vehicle injury 13.7 percent among Rest of State residents.

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