Mortality
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Indicator:
Infant Mortality
Policy context:
Infant mortality refers to the number of deaths of infants (aged 0-1) in any given year per 1000 live births.¹ The most common causes of death before one year of age are conditions originating in the perinatal period and congenital conditions.² Other common causes of death in this period are Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, injury and accidental threats to breathing.²
Known risks associated with incidence of infant mortality include social and economic factors such as low income, unemployment, teenage motherhood, and mother’s education.³ʼ⁴ As such, infant mortality can be used as an indicator of the general wellbeing of a population and as an indicator of the accessibility, quality, and performance of the health system in maternal and perinatal health.⁵
As infant mortality is associated with both social and economic factors and healthcare quality and access it can be used by policy makers and health providers to give insight into the health of mothers and babies as well as the broader population in a region. Therefore, combined with other factors, infant mortality can be used to inform policy, strategy and intervention to support child health and development.
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2023, Deaths in Australia [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2016, Australia's Health, How healthy are Australia's children? [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2016/contents/summary
United Nations Population Division 2017, Levels and Trends in Child Mortality Report 2017 [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://childmortality.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/UN-IGME-Child-Mortality-Report-2017.pdf
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017, Deaths in Australia 2017 [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Canberra ACT. Infant Mortality: Mortality rate for infants less than 1 year of age. 2017.
Data source:
Compiled by UWA and Telethon Kids Institute based on Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Department of Health Western Australia
Numerator:
Number of deaths for children aged under 1 year
Denominator:
Total live births
Unit of measure:
Per 1,000 live births
Geography:
SA3, HR, RDC
Data confidentiality:
Areas with count values 1 to 4 and where population is less than 50 have been suppressed.
Prior moving averages combine a sequence of 3 or 5 years of data prior to, and including, the selected year. The series are presented as overlapping sequences until the most recent year is included. Moving averages make it possible to combine more years of data to maximize sample size at each point while maintaining data confidentiality.
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Indicator:
Child mortality (all causes)
Policy context:
Child mortality refers to the number of deaths of children in any given year per 100,000 population. The primary causes of mortality vary between different stages of childhood.
The majority of deaths between the ages of 0 and 5 years of age occur within the first year of life, with the highest risk of death being in the first month.⁴ The main causes of death between the ages of 0 and 5 years include conditions originating in the perinatal period, congenital diseases, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, injury related to traffic accidents, drowning and accidental threats to breathing, and cancer.¹
In addition to the personal consequences of the death of a child on individuals in Australian communities, child mortality can be used as an indicator of the health of a population due to its association with a range of social and economic factors.²ʼ⁴ʼ⁵
Child mortality is associated with social and economic disadvantage, access to health care, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, maternal education, unemployment, community awareness of child mortality risk factors, and immunisation programs.²ʼ⁴ʼ⁵
Child mortality is an important indicator for health providers and policy makers to inform policy, strategy, and intervention, providing insight into the health of young children as well as the broader population.¹ The importance of child mortality statistics is amplified by the knowledge that many of the causes of death in this period, such as traffic accidents or accidental drowning, are preventable.¹
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2023, Deaths in Australia [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2016, Australia's Health, How healthy are Australia's children? [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2016/contents/summary
United Nations Population Division 2017, Levels and Trends in Child Mortality Report 2017 [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://childmortality.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/UN-IGME-Child-Mortality-Report-2017.pdf
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017, Deaths in Australia 2017 [cited 2023 September 15]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy
Data source:
Compiled by UWA and Telethon Kids Institute based on Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Department of Health Western Australia; ABS Estimated Residential Population estimates.
Numerator:
Number of deaths for children aged 0-4 years
Denominator:
Total ERP aged 0-4 years
Unit of measure:
Per 100,000 population 0-4 year olds
Geography:
SA3, HR, RDC
Data confidentiality:
Areas with count values 1 to 4 and where population is less than 50 have been suppressed.
Prior moving averages combine a sequence of 3 or 5 years of data prior to, and including, the selected year. The series are presented as overlapping sequences until the most recent year is included. Moving averages make it possible to combine more years of data to maximize sample size at each point while maintaining data confidentiality.
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Indicator:
Number of deaths by deliberate self-harm for persons aged 15-24 years
Data source:
Compiled by UWA and Telethon Kids Institute based on Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Department of Health Western Australia
Numerator:
Number of deaths by deliberate self-harm for persons aged 15-24 years
Denominator:
Total ERP aged 15-24 years
Unit of measure:
Number of deaths by suicide per 100,000 population 15-24 year olds
Geography:
SA3, HR, RDC
Data confidentiality:
Areas with count values 1 to 4 and where population is less than 50 have been suppressed.
Prior moving averages combine a sequence of 3 or 5 years of data prior to, and including, the selected year. The series are presented as overlapping sequences until the most recent year is included. Moving averages make it possible to combine more years of data to maximize sample size at each point while maintaining data confidentiality.
Notes:
Deaths deemed to be deliberate self-harm if any of the following ICD codes were recorded as a Cause of Death code.