How Vital Records are Recorded

At the center of the country’s health statistics is the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). In order to provide the data necessary to identify and address current health issues, NCHS is responsible for compiling the statistical data that can be used by health policy decision makers to guide and direct health policy.

NCHS relies on data collected from multiple sources to ensure accuracy of the findings. The system has become refined enough that decision makers have access to a very broad perspective of the challenges, the factors that influence health and are able to observe health outcomes. Without NCHS, the general public and medical profession would be behind the times in terms of new challenges and new, workable solutions.

The National Vital Statistics Systems (NVSS) is more focused. The role of NVSS is to provide national birth and death events based on information obtained from state and local municipalities. When it comes to births and deaths, NVSS is the authority to which public health officials on all levels of government turn. NVSS is also used by relevant elements of the private sector to gather birth and mortality data.

These two agencies constantly seek new ways to improve the collection and registration process so as to ensure the highest possible degree of integrity to their data. Data collected in 2014 for the year 2013 has recently been released, some of which is described herein.

Samples of NVSS Data For 2013

NVSS collated data related to the following six primary areas:

1. Teen births and birth rates

2. Prenatal care and birthweight

3. Risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes

4. Infant mortality rates

5. Life expectancy

6. Leading causes of death

General Summaries of Collected NVSS Data follows

Teen Birth Rates - Because the teen birth rate is regarded as a leading indicator of population change, researchers pay close attention to the information. Preliminary 2013 data offers these facts:

For teens aged 15-19, there were 26.6 birth per 1,000 teens. This was decreased by 10 percent from 2012 and was the lowest in the modern era and half the birth rate in 1991.

Teen birth rates in 2013 were highest with Hispanics at 41.9 births per 1,000 teens.

Birth Rates – The rate of preterm births declined for the seventh consecutive year. This follows a 20 percent increase from 1990 through 2006. The 2013 preterm birth rate was 11.38 percent.

In 2013 cesarean birth rates fell off to 32.7 percent after compiling a 50 percent average from 1990-2009.

The number of twin births was 33.1 per 1,000 births in 2012, a fall of about 9 percent from 2009 to 2011.

In 2013, there was a significant decline in the number of births to unmarried women falling to 44.8 births per 1,0000 unmarried women aged 15-44. 2013 marked the seventh consecutive year, the rate declined.

Infant Mortality – Another positive result from the 2013 data shows that infant mortalities decreased 1.5 percent to 5.98 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

Life Expectancy – Life expectancy in the United States continues to rise. In 2012, life expectancy at birth for males was 78.8 years up from 76.3 years in 2011. For females, the news is even better. Life expectancy for females born in 2012 increased to 81.2 years from 81.1 year in 2011.

Hispanic women had the highest life expectancy rates (83.9 years) in 2012.

Death Rates – One of the important findings of NVSS was that age-adjusted death rates declined significantly for the top two leading causes of death, heart disease and cancer (1.8 percent and 1.5 percent respectively.) However, in 2012, these diseases still accounted for 46.5 percent of all deaths in the United States.

Other deaths rates for 2012 are as follows:

• Chronic lower respiratory diseases - 2.4 percent

• Stroke - 2.6 percent

Alzheimer’s disease - 3.6 percent

• Diabetes - 1.9 percent

• Influenza and pneumonia - 8.3 percent

• Kidney disease - 2.2 percent

• Septicemia - 1.9 percent

• Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids - 3.8 percent

Information from NCHS and NVSS is certainly food for thought. And makes it easy to see why society benefits from the collection process.