During 1999, there were 4,416 deaths among residents of SPA 5 (Table 24). Heart disease and cancers were the leading causes of death, with 1,423 and 1,126 deaths, respectively. These two causes accounted for 58% of deaths during that year. Other leading causes of death among SPA 5 residents during 1999 were cerebrovascular disease with 383 deaths (9%), pneumonia & influenza with 221 deaths (5%), and chronic lower respiratory disease (CLD) with 187 deaths representing 4% of deaths in SPA 5.

Death rates per 100,000 population were at 247 for heart disease, 195 for cancers, 66 for cerebrovascular disease, 38 for pneumonia & influenza, 32 for chronic lower respiratory disease (CLD), and 20 for unintentional injuries.

Table 25 ranks the leading causes of death by age group and presents age-specific death rates (ASDR) in SPA 5 during 1999. ASDRs are listed for each specific age group per 100,000 population. The leading cause of death among children 0 to 4 years of age was short gestation, which caused 13 infant deaths during 1999. The ASDR for this death cause was 37 per 100,000 population of this age group. Perinatal complications and congenital malformations, each caused 5 deaths among children 0 to 4 years old, with ASDRs of 14 per 100,000 population of this age group.

Unintentional injuries, cancers, and homicide were the leading causes of death among children and youth 5 to 19 years of age, with 9, 5, and 5 deaths, respectively. ASDRs for these three causes of death were 12, 7, and 7 per 100,000 population of this age group, respectively. For persons 20 to 44 years old, unintentional injury was the leading cause of death (49 deaths and an ASDR of 21). Cancers, suicide, heart disease, and AIDS, were the next leading causes of death with 37, 27, 19, and 18 deaths, and ASDRs of 16, 11, 8, and 8, respectively.

Cancers and heart disease had both the highest frequencies and ASDRs among persons 45 to 64 years of age with 225 (ASDR of 159) and 133 (ASDR of 94), respectively. For elderly residents 65 years of age and over, heart disease was the leading cause of death, with 1,267 deaths and an ASDR of 1,442 per 100,000 population. The next leading causes of death in this age group were cancers, cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia & influenza, and chronic lower respiratory disease, with 859, 359, 210, and 168 deaths and ASDRs of 978, 409, 239, and 191 per 100,000 population, respectively.

Table 26 presents the racial/ethnic distribution of deaths in SPA 5 during 1999 by age groups. Of the 4,416 deaths among SPA 5 residents during that year, 3,651 (82%) were among whites, 288 (7%) were among African Americans, 280 (6%) were among Latinos, and 197 (5%) were among other racial/ethnic groups. Death was likely to occur at an earlier age among all other racial/ethnic groups than among whites. The proportion of deaths among persons 45 to 64 years of age was lower among whites (11%) than among all other racial/ethnic groups, with 27% among African Americans, 23% among Latinos, and 21% among other racial/ethnic groups. In the meantime, about 85% of deaths among whites were 65 years and over. This age group represented significantly lower percentages of deaths among all other racial/ethnic groups, with 59% among African Americans, 57% among Latinos, and 67% among persons from other racial/ethnic groups.

Unintentional Injury Deaths, Suicides, and Homicides

During 1999, there were 117 unintentional injury deaths, 61 suicides, and 20 homicides in SPA 5 (Table 27). Unintentional injury deaths include motor vehicle and other accidental deaths. Approximately 70% of unintentional injury deaths were 18 to 64 years of age, 22% were seniors 65 years and over, and 8% were children and youth less than 18 years old. Persons 18 to 64 years of age constituted about 75% of suicides, seniors made up 21%, and children and youth represented 4% of suicides in SPA 5 during 1999. Approximately 82% of homicides in SPA 5 during 1999 were 18 to 64 years of age, 10% were children and youth, and 8% were seniors.

Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL)

Years of potential life lost (YPLL) due to death prior to reaching the age of 65 are presented in Table 28. Years of potential life lost for cancers and unintentional injury deaths were substantially higher than for other causes of deaths, with 3,145 years and 2,445 years, respectively. These two causes of deaths were followed by heart disease with 1,865 years and suicides with 1,000 years of potential life lost.