nevada vital statistics 2001-2003 - Nevada State Health Division ...

Nevada’s infant mortality rate has continued to decline from a peak in 1998 of 6.9, per 1,000 births,
to 5.7 in 2001. That rate rose slightly to 5.9, in 2002, before decreasing to an almost 10 year low of 5.6
in 2003. Washoe County showed a great improvement from 5.5 in 2001 to 3.8 in 2002. However, that
rate increased in 2003 to 5.7. The Black population continues to have the highest rate of infant mortality
in Nevada with a rate of 16.5, per 1,000 live births, in 2001 and 18.6 in 2002. That rate declined to 12.0
in 2003.
The number of resident deaths continued to increase in Nevada from 16,233 in 2001, to 17,666 in
2003. Age-adjusted death rates in the state were 910.9 (per 100,000 – 2000 US Standard population) in
2001, 895.3 in 2002 and 912.3 in 2003. People ages 65 and older represented 68.0% of all Nevada
resident deaths in 2001, 67.8% in 2002 and 67.2% in 2003.
Diseases of the Heart and Malignant Neoplasms (i.e. Cancers) ranked one and two, respectively, for
the leading causes of death in Nevada for the years 2001 to 2003. These two diseases were responsible for
8,143 deaths in Nevada in 2001, 8,153 in 2002 and 8,612 in 2003; accounting for 50.2%, 48.9% and
48.7%, respectively, of total deaths in the state. Trachea, Bronchus and Lung Cancer, as a group,
continued to be the leading cause of cancer deaths for 2001 to 2003 with age-adjusted death rates (per
100,000 – 2000 US Standard population) of 61.9 (2001), 55.3 (2002) and 61.2 (2003).
After age-adjustment, racial/ethnic group comparisons indicate that Blacks had the highest death rate
for Diseases of the Heart and for Cancer in 2001 to 2003.
MORTALITY