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TABLE 23:

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Tab 23

TABLE 23
LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH BY AGE AND GENDER
British Columbia, 2002

• There were 177 infant deaths (under one year of age) in 2002, an increase from 162 deaths in 2001 (see Table 4). Perinatal conditions were the leading cause of infant deaths (89 deaths) and congenital anomalies were second leading cause of infant deaths (43). Twelve deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) were recorded for 2002. This number may be amended in future reports as medical investigations are completed.

• There were 97 deaths of children in the 1-14 year age group in 2002. Unintentional injury/accident was the leading cause of death in this age group, with 24 deaths (14 boys and 10 girls or 58.3% males). Cancer, the second leading cause of death for this age group, claimed 18 young lives, 10 boys and 8 girls.

• Unintentional injury/accidents were responsible for 46.5% (141 deaths) of the 303 deaths in the 15-24 year age group. The second leading cause of death in this age group was suicide, which claimed 45 lives or almost 15 percent of the total deaths. There were 20 cancer deaths making this the third leading cause of death in this age group and 10 deaths from congenital anomalies (fourth place).

• In the 25-44 year age group, there were 1,223 deaths in 2002. For men in this age group, the leading cause of death was unintentional injury/accident (231 deaths), followed by suicide with 110 deaths and cancer with 98 deaths. For women in this age group, cancer was the leading cause of death (115 deaths), followed by unintentional injury/accident (64 deaths).

• The leading causes of death in the 45-64 year age group were cancer (1,877 deaths), cardiovascular disease (691), and unintentional injury/accidents (243). There were 2,672 male deaths and 1,720 female deaths in this age group. More than a third of the male deaths (35.3%) and more than half (54.3%) of female deaths in this age group were due to cancer (943 males and 934 female deaths).

• In 2002, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease were the leading causes of death for both men and women in the 65-84 year age group. In total these causes account for two thirds (65.1%) of all of the deaths in this age group.

• The leading causes of death in the 85 and over age group were cardiovascular disease, cancer and cerebrovascular disease. Deaths from cardiovascular diseases (2,790) accounted for a almost a third (31.9%) of the 8,740 deaths in this age group.