1.1 Causes of Death

Changes in life expectancy and mortality rates are largely due to shifting patterns in the cause of death. Data for past years show cause of death by age, sex and race. Click on Leading Causes of Death. Compare the twenty leading causes of death in the United States for all races and both sexes in increments of ten years from 1981-1982 with that of the latest year available. (Note the sign-in for recent years and information regarding the latest statistics.) Look at the changes in rank for various causes both throughout the life span as well as over time. Indicate the comparison year and answer the following questions.

1			What disease is absent from the statistics for 1981-1982? In your most recent statistics, what age groups rank higher than fifteenth in deaths from this disease?
2			Compare the data from deaths for all ages 1981-1982 with that of the most recent year selected. In the rankings of the twenty leading causes of death, which causes of death have increased in rank? Which causes of death have decreased?
3			Pick any other year to examine the differences in the twenty causes of death in ten-year increments between males and females. List the year chosen and note the causes of death that are ranked higher for males than for females as well as the causes of death that are ranked higher for females than for males in specific age groups. For example, what is the fourth leading cause of death for males age 15-24? Does it rank higher or lower for females of the same age range?