Progress in reducing mortality among Wisconsin residents, 1980-2000: rates decline, but black-white disparities increase.

PURPOSE

To assess progress towards 2 overarching public health goals--improvement in length of life and reducing health disparities.

METHODS

Age specific mortality rates in Wisconsin from 1980 to 2000 were obtained from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database. Rates for each age group were gathered for the entire Wisconsin population and for black and white subgroups. Trends in mortality rates were plotted, change in mortality rates was estimated, and the number of "lives saved" annually from 1980-1984 to 1996-2000 was calculated. In addition, black vs white rate ratios were calculated at both the beginning and the end of the time period to determine trends in black-white mortality disparities.

RESULTS

Mortality is decreasing in Wisconsin in every age group. The largest relative improvements in mortality rates occurred among infants <1 year (-30%), children 1-14 years (-27%), and adults 45-64 years (-23%). Comparatively little progress was seen among adults 25-44 years (-5%) and those 85 years and older (-0.5%). Black/white disparities increased in every age group. During 1996-2000, approximately 5000 fewer deaths occurred each year than expected based on mortality rates from 1980-1984.

CONCLUSION

Despite progress towards increasing length of life, progress towards eliminating disparities was not seen over the 1980 to 2000 time period.