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What are Mortality Rates?
Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis
A mortality rate is the amount of deaths in a given population during a given period of time. The rate is commonly expressed in deaths out of 100 or 1000 individuals. For instance, if in a town of 10,000 inhabitants, 10 people die of the flu, the flu mortality rate would be one in 1000. Mortality rates can be based on simply how many die of any cause in a population, or can be used to describe the death rate of a certain illness or condition.
Mortality rates have many uses, but are often utilized to describe the increase or decrease in a cause of death over a lengthy time period. For instance, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) used mortality rates to show that the mortality rate for car-accident deaths in the United States dropped from almost 25 per 100,000 to nearly 15 per 100,000 between 1979-2006, while during the same period poisoning deaths rose from five to 15 per 100,000. Looking at the mortality rates over time can help health officials understand where to focus prevention and safety efforts, and indicate possible trends in death due to factors affecting the measured population.
In disease treatment, a mortality rate may be used to explain the likelihood of survival or death. This information can help patients decide what treatment will give them the best chance of survival. Additionally, if the mortality rate of a treatment is extremely high, patients may decide it is too dangerous or not worth the risk or pain of the procedure.
The mortality rate of infants and children is often used as a factor in determining the health status of a country. A high infant mortality rate indicates poor prenatal and obstetric care, and is often found in conjunction with very poor nations or areas. In the United States, infant mortality rates are often broken down by ethnicity or economic bracket, to highlight areas where better care is required.
A mortality rate may also be expressed as a mortality table, also called a life table. Using a generalized table broken down by age, a mortality table shows the mortality rate and probability of death each year. By looking at a life table, a healthy person can determine the likelihood that they will die before their next birthday. Life tables are highly generalized and do not include individual factors that may increase or decrease chances of death, such as whether the person smokes, where they live, and if they have a healthy diet or pre-consisting medical conditions. At best, mortality tables should be looked at as a rough average of likely lifespan.
Jessica Ellis
With a B.A. in theater from UCLA and a graduate degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Jessica is passionate about drama and film. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing about a wide range of topics in her role as a TheHealthBoard writer.
Learn more...
Jessica Ellis
With a B.A. in theater from UCLA and a graduate degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Jessica is passionate about drama and film. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing about a wide range of topics in her role as a TheHealthBoard writer.
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![A high infant mortality rate indicates poor prenatal and obstetric care.]()
By: Alexandr VasilyevA high infant mortality rate indicates poor prenatal and obstetric care. -
![Life tables don't include life factors like smoking that may contribute to a person's death.]()
By: Hunor KristoLife tables don't include life factors like smoking that may contribute to a person's death. -
![In disease treatment, a mortality rate may be used to explain the likelihood of survival or death.]()
By: oneblink1In disease treatment, a mortality rate may be used to explain the likelihood of survival or death. -
![Mortality rates may be broken down by ethnicity.]()
By: ryflipMortality rates may be broken down by ethnicity.
Discussion Comments
When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer we all started paying a lot more attention to the research that was being done for breast cancer.
I also found myself reading as much as I could about this disease and felt pretty discouraged after reading about the breast cancer mortality rates. I know these are facts that have been gathered through the years, but I found it best if I concentrated on the positive instead of thinking about the mortality rates.
I was an underwriter for a life insurance company and I know some of our guidelines and prices were set on what mortality rates were. They used all different kinds of calculations and rates to come up with their figures.
I know that smoking mortality rates were looked at differently than someone who was not a smoker. Many times this a subject that people feel uncomfortable talking about.
It can be a depressing subject when you think about it, but is something that really has to be taken into consideration in something like the insurance industry.
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