Morbidity and Mortality

What is morbidity and mortality?

Morbidity is another way of saying disease or illness, so the morbidity rate is the number of people with a certain disease or illness per 100,000 in a certain area or population. Mortality is another way of saying death, so the mortality rate is the number of people who died of a certain disease or illness per 100,000 in a certain area or population. 

Morbidity Indicators in Our Region:

  • The rate of new cancer cases in the region is 481.8 per 100,000 as compared to the rate in West Virginia (497.8 per 100,000).
  • 25% of high school students in the region are obese.
  • 36% of high school students in the region are overweight or obese.
  • The tuberculosis case rate in the region was 0 per 100,000 in 2014 as compared to the rate in West Virginia (13 per 100,000).
  • There were 130 new HIV cases in the region between 2010 and 2013.

Mortality Indicators in Our Region:

  • Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the region (24%) followed by cancer (22%).
  • Lung cancer caused 99.4 deaths per 100,000 of deaths due to cancer in 2010.
  • In 2010 there was an average of 48 deaths per 100,000 deaths due to unintentional injuries in the Mid-Ohio Valley region.
  • Motor vehicle accidents were the most frequent cause of deaths due to unintentional injuries.

Health Resources Availability and Access Profile Key Findings:

  • There are three identified primary care health professional shortage areas: Calhoun, Ritchie, and Roane.
  • There are four identified dental care health professional shortage areas: Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, and Wirt.
    • In 2011, there were 43.1 dentists per 100,000 but most of those are located only in Wood County.
  • There are four identified mental health professional shortage areas: Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, and Roane.
  • In the Mid-Ohio Valley region, there are 63.3 licensed physicians per 100,000 residents compared to 77 per 100,000 in West Virginia.
  • 13.3% of individuals in the region remain uninsured.

 

Additional Resources: