Mortality Rate

What does this indicator measure?

Mortality Rate measures the rate at which St. Louis residents die of all causes in a given year per 100,000 residents. Death records are assembled from death certificates which are recorded by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, including deaths of City of St. Louis residents that occurred in other states. In 2016, there were 3,016 deaths, which translates to an age-adjusted rate of 957 deaths per 100,000 residents of St. Louis. 

Mortality Rate analysis

Age-adjusted mortality rate per 100,000 people in St. Louis City.

Data Source: Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, MOPHIMS- Death MICA, 2016. 

What does this analysis mean?

Black residents are 34% more likely to die than white residents. Black residents die at rate of 1,124 per 100,000 people per year, while white residents die at a rate of 838 per 100,000 people. If mortality rates were equitable, there would be 429 fewer annual deaths among black residents.

The leading causes of death for both black and white residents are heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries. Black residents are significantly more likely than white residents to die of homicide, injury by firearm, kidney disease, and diabetes. White residents are significantly more likely than black residents to die of suicide, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. 

Data Notes: Rates are per year per 100,000 population and are age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population. The age-adjusted rates are rates that would have existed if the population under study had the same age distribution as the "standard" population. Age adjusting rates is a way to make fairer comparisons between groups with different age distributions.

Why does Mortality Rate matter?

Higher mortality rates ultimately represent poorer health and quality of life among the black community as a whole. Preventable and premature deaths come at a social and economic cost to our community. The Ferguson Commission highlighted a finding from the National Urban League Policy Institute that nationally, "economic loss due to premature deaths was valued at $250 billion in 2009."

Which Calls to Action from the Ferguson Commission report are linked with this indicator?

The Ferguson Commission calls for a broad application of a racial equity framework in part to reduce the racial disparities in premature death. The specific calls to action related to health are: 

• Increase Health Insurance Coverage and Access
• Expand Medicaid Eligibility
• Provide Gap Coverage
• Increase ACA Marketplace Enrollment

Questions for further investigation

• Why is there a racial disparity in Mortality Rate? 
• What can St. Louis do to reduce racial disparities in Mortality Rate?
• What initiatives are currently underway to reduce racial disparities in Mortality Rate?

How can I learn more about this issue?

In 2015, For the Sake of All, a Washington University in St. Louis-based initiative, published a report on the health and well-being of African Americans in St. Louis, which discusses the factors leading to premature death.

Leading Causes of Death

Age-adjusted rates of death per 100,000 residents, 2005-2015 in St. Louis City.

Data Source: Missouri Department of Health and Social Services, Resident Death- Leading Causes Profile, 2005-2015.

Other causes of interest

Age-adjusted rates of death per 100,000 residents, 2005-2015 in St. Louis City.

Data Source: Missouri Department of Health and Social Services, Resident Death- Leading Causes Profile, 2005-2015.

Causes of death for women

Data Source: Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, Missouri Resident Women’s Health Profile, 2018