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"1998 Vital"
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WEST VIRGINIA
VITAL STATISTICS, 1998

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Population | Live Births | Deaths | YPLL | Infant Deaths | Neonatal/postneonatal deaths | Fetal Deaths | Marriages | Divorces and Annulments | Summary

Population
For the second year in a row, 35 West Virginians were lost to the population in 1998 as a result of natural decrease, the excess of deaths over births. The rate of natural decrease was 0.02 persons per 1,000 population. Population estimates for 1998 show a total decrease in the state's population (approximately 0.3%) since 1997, from 1,816,000 to 1,811,000. This decrease is the result of the natural decrease and an excess of outmigration over inmigration.

Live Births
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West Virginia resident live births decreased by six, from 20,735 in 1997 to 20,729 in 1998. The 1998 birth rate of 11.4 per 1,000 population was the same as the 1997 rate. The U.S. 1998 provisional birth rate was 14.6 live births per 1,000 population, unchanged from 1997. As the graph below shows, West Virginia's birth rate first fell below the national rate in 1980. It has continued its overall decline, interrupted by slight upturns between 1989 and 1991.

West Virginia and United States Birth Rates
1980 - 1998

Graph - WV and US Birth Rates, 1980 - 1998

The 1998 U.S. fertility rate of 65.6 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 was 0.5% higher than the 1997 rate (65.3). West Virginia's fertility rate increased from 51.8 in 1997 to 53.7 in 1998. A comparison of West Virginia and United States age-specific fertility rates is displayed in the table below. 
 

Fertility Rates* by Age Group
West Virginia and United States, 1998 

15-19 20-44 Total (15-44)
WV U.S.** WV U.S.** WV U.S.**
48.6 51.1 54.2 68.1 53.7 65.6

* All fertility rates were calculated using 1998 estimates, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
**National Center for Health Statistics, Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 47, No. 25, October 5, 1999

The fertility rate among women aged 15-19 in West Virginia was 4.9% lower than that among young women in the U.S. (48.6 vs. 51.1). The fertility rate among women aged 20-44, however, was 20.4% lower in the state than in the nation (54.2 vs. 68.1). 

The number of births to teenage mothers decreased by 68 (2.1%), from 3,288 in 1997 to 3,220 in 1998. The percentage of total births decreased from 15.9% in 1997 to 15.5% in 1998. The significantly lower fertility rate among older women, however, resulted in teenage births continuing to constitute a higher proportion of total births than is found nationally (12.3% in 1998). 

The percentage of births occurring out of wedlock has continued to rise steadily over the past decade, except between 1996 and 1997. In 1998 nearly one out of every three (32.3%) West Virginia resident births was to an unwed mother. The percentages of white and black births that occurred out of wedlock in West Virginia in 1998 were 30.8% and 76.6%, respectively, compared to 29.7% and 75.9% in 1997. In the United States in 1998, 26.3% of white births and 69.0% of births to black mothers occurred out of wedlock. The percentage of teenage births to unmarried mothers in the state increased from 69.7% in 1997 to 71.0% in 1998. 

There were a total of 1,675 low birthweight babies (those weighing less than 2,500 grams or 5½ born to West Virginia residents in 1998, 8.1% of all births. Of the 1,559 low birthweight infants with known gestational age, 1,011 or 64.8% were preterm babies born before 37 weeks of gestation. (Of all 1998 resident births with a known gestational age, 13.0% were preterm babies.) Of the births with known birthweight, 13.1% of black babies and 7.9% of the white babies were low birthweight. Nationally, 7.6% of all infants weighed less than 2,500 grams at birth in 1998; 6.6% of white infants and 13.0% of black infants were of low birthweight. 

Over eighty percent (83.7%) of West Virginia mothers who received known prenatal care began their care during the first trimester of pregnancy compared to 82.8% of mothers nationwide in 1998. Among those with known prenatal care, 84.2% of the white mothers began care during the first trimester; 70.5% of black mothers did so. No prenatal care was received by 0.5% of white mothers and by 1.7% of black mothers. 

Over one-fourth (25.4%) of the 20,729 births in 1998 were to mothers who smoked during their pregnancies, while 1.0% of births were to women who used alcohol. The most recent national figures show that 13.6% of women giving birth reported smoking during pregnancy (1996) and 1.5% used alcohol (1995). Twenty-four percent (24.1%) of 1998 state births were delivered by Cesarean section, compared to national rate of 21.2%. One or more complications of labor and/or delivery were reported for 33.4% of deliveries in the state in 1998. 

Deaths
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The number of West Virginia resident deaths decreased from 20,872 in 1997 to 20,764 in 1998. The state's crude death rate stayed at 11.5 per 1,000 population. The nation's 1998 provisional death rate also remained unchanged in 1998 at 8.6. The average age at death for West Virginians was 72.7 (69.4 for men and 75.9 for women). One hundred and forty-six West Virginia residents who died in 1998 were age 100 or older. The oldest man was 104 years old at the time of death, while the oldest woman was 112 years old. 

Heart disease, cancer, and stroke, the three leading causes of death, accounted for 61.7% of West Virginia resident deaths and 60.8% of the United States deaths in 1998. Compared to 1997, the number of state deaths due to heart disease decreased 0.6% while cancer deaths decreased 0.7%. Deaths due to stroke decreased (2.6%), while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality increased (0.5%). Diabetes mellitus deaths increased 4.7%, while the number of reported deaths due to pneumonia and influenza was 712 in both 1997 and 1998. Mortality resulting from unintentional injuries increased 3.3%, from 788 in 1997 to 814 in 1998. Motor vehicle traffic accidents continued to be below the 424 deaths in 1993, the year the West Virginia seatbelt law took effect, decreasing by 3 (0.8%) from 389 in 1997 to 386 in 1998. 

Unintentional injuries remained the leading cause of death for ages 1 through 34 years. Even with the precipitous drop in motor vehicle accident deaths between 1993 and 1994, such fatalities remained the single leading cause of death for young adults aged 15 through 34, accounting for 30.2% of all deaths for this age group in 1998, compared with 30.8% in 1997. West Virginia's 1998 motor vehicle fatalities included three children under five years of age, the same as in 1997. 

Suicides decreased by 37 (261 to 224 or 14.2%) between 1997 and 1998. Male suicides decreased 13.7%, from 219 in 1997 to 189 in 1998; the number of female suicides (35) decreased by seven or 16.7% from 1997. Over seventy percent (71.9%) of all suicide deaths were firearm related -- 75.1% of male suicides and 54.3% of female suicides. The average age of death for a suicide victim in 1998 was 45.4 years. While suicide was the ninth leading cause of death overall, it was still the second leading cause of death for ages 15-34. The number of suicides among persons aged 19 and under rose by one, from 16 in 1997 to 17 in 1998. 

Homicides in West Virginia increased by one, from 94 in 1997 to 95 in 1998. Sixty-four of the homicide victims were male, 31 were female. The average age at death for a homicide victim in 1998 was 37.6 years. There were three homicide victims under the age of five in 1998, compared to six in 1997. Over sixty percent (63.2%) of 1998 homicide deaths were due to firearms. 

Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL)
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YPLL is a measure of premature or preventable mortality occurring before the age of 65, calculated as the difference between age 65 and the age at death. The sum of YPLL over all causes is the total YPLL from all persons dying before the age of 65. For example, a person dying at the age of 45 contributes 20 years total to the total YPLL (65-45 = 20 YPLL). YPLL is an important tool for emphasizing and evaluating causes of death among persons less than 65 years of age. 

The YPLL from all causes decreased marginally, from 81,248 YPLL in 1997 to 81,212 in 1998. The three leading causes of YPLL in 1998 were malignant neoplasms (15,410 YPLL), diseases of the heart (14,038 YPLL), and motor vehicle accidents (10,313 YPLL). Combined, these three causes accounted for almost half (49.0%) of all years of potential life lost in 1998. In comparison to 1997, YPLL attributable to malignant neoplasms increased from 18.6% of the total to 19.0%. YPLL due to diseases of the heart also increased from 15.3% to 17.3% while the percentage of total YPLL due to motor vehicle crashes increased from 12.6% to 12.7%. 

Infant Deaths
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Deaths of infants under one year of age decreased from 197 in 1997 to 167 in 1998. West Virginia's infant mortality rate decreased noticeably (14.7%), from 9.5 per 1,000 live births in 1997 to 8.1 in 1998. The U.S. provisional 1998 infant mortality rate was 7.2, unchanged from 1997. 

The table below shows the decline in the national and state infant mortality rates from 1950 through 1998. 
 

1950 - 1998 Infant Mortality
West Virginia and United States (Number and Rate per 1,000 Live Births)

Year West Virginia United States
1950 31.4 29.2
1955 27.1 26.4
1960 25.3 26.0
1965 27.1 24.5
1970 23.3 20.0
1975 18.3 16.1
1980 11.8 12.6
1985 10.7 10.6
1990 9.8 9.1
1991 8.1 8.9
1992 9.1 8.5
1993 8.6 8.3
1994 6.1 8.0
1995 7.6 7.5
1996 7.2 7.2
1997 9.5 7.2
1998 8.1 7.2

The state's 1998 white infant mortality rate decreased 12.1%, from 9.1 in 1997 to 8.0, while the rate for black infants decreased 47.3%, from 20.1 to 10.6. West Virginia's 1998 race-specific infant mortality rates and comparable U.S. rates for 1998 (provisional) are shown in the table below: 
 
1998 West Virginia and United States
(Number and Rate per 1,000 Live Births)
Race of Infant West Virginia United States
All Races 167 8.1 28,486 7.2
White 159 8.0 18,795 6.0
Black 8 10.6 8,579 14.1
Other 0 0.0 1,112 5.3

Approximately one in five (21.0%) infant deaths in 1998 was due to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Twenty-five percent (24.6%) were the result of congenital anomalies, while 40.7% were due to certain conditions originating in the perinatal period, including disorders relating to short gestation and unspecified low birthweight (8.4%). 

Neonatal/Postneonatal Deaths
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The number of neonatal deaths decreased by 38, from 133 in 1997 to 95 in 1998; the neonatal death rate decreased from 6.4 deaths among infants under 28 days per 1,000 live births in 1997 to 4.6 in 1998. The United States provisional 1998 rate was 4.8. Neonatal deaths comprised over half (56.9%) of all West Virginia resident infant deaths in 1998, compared to 67.5% in 1997. The rate of postneonatal deaths increased from 3.1 deaths per 1,000 neonatal survivors in 1997 to 3.5 in 1998. 

Fetal Deaths
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The 125 resident fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks of gestation reported in 1998 were 13 fewer than the 138 fetal deaths in 1997. The fetal death ratio decreased from 6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1997 to 6.0 in 1998. The majority (91.2%) of fetal deaths were due to conditions originating in the perinatal period, including complications of placenta, cord, and membrane (30.4%), maternal conditions (7.2%), maternal complications (9.6%), short gestation and low birthweight (6.4%), and other ill-defined perinatal conditions (28.8%). Congenital anomalies accounted for 8.0% of all fetal deaths. 

Marriages
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Marriages increased from 10,530 in 1997 to 10,839 in 1998. The marriage rate in 1998 was 6.0 per 1,000 population, compared to 5.8 in 1997. The state's 1998 marriage rate was 27.7% lower than the provisional U.S. rate of 8.3, down from 8.9 in 1997. 

The median age for all marriages in 1998 was 25 for brides and 27 for grooms. For first marriages, the median age was 22 for brides and 24 for grooms. The mode (most frequently reported age) for all marriages, and for first marriages, was 22 for brides and 23 for grooms. 

Divorces and Annulments
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The number of divorces rose from 8,998 in 1997 to 9,309 in 1998. The 1998 rate of 5.1 per 1,000 population also increased from 5.0 in 1997. The 1998 U.S. provisional rate was 4.2 per 1,000 population, down from 4.3 in 1997. 

Of the 9,309 divorces in West Virginia in 1998, the median duration of marriage was six years. Over half (50.7%) of the divorces involved no children under 18 years of age in the family, while one child was involved in 25.6% of all divorces and two children were involved in 17.6%. Fourteen divorces involved six or more children. 

Summary
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The number of West Virginia resident births decreased only by six from 20,735 in 1997 to 20,729 in 1998. West Virginia resident deaths also decreased from 20,872 in 1997 to 20,764 in 1998. The number of infant deaths decreased from 197 in 1997 to 167 in 1998. Fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation decreased by 13, from 138 in 1997 to 125 in 1998. Marriages increased for the first time since 1994, from 10,530 in 1997 to 10,839 in 1998, while divorces also increased from 8,998 in 1997 to 9,309 in 1998. 

Cover Photo of 1998 Vital Statistics publication

Cover Photo - 40K

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For information or questions concerning page contents, please contact:

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Last updated 03/15/00.