Premature Mortality (YPLL) per 100,000 Population: From All Causes of Death by Small Area, New Mexico, 2012-2016

Why Is This Important?

YPLLs can show the burden of premature deaths due to a particular cause of death within a population. YPLLs can also be used to distinguish the burden of premature death in populations. Unlike crude and standard age-adjusted measures, YPLL emphasizes the processes underlying premature death in a population. By giving weight to each year of expected life lost, the YPLL measure values deaths at younger ages more. Deaths at younger ages are more likely due to preventable causes and can be decreased by intervention and education efforts.

Definition

YPLL can be defined as the years of potential life lost due to premature death. "Premature" mortality for this indicator has been defined here as, "death at an age younger than 75." The data have not been age-adjusted.

Data Sources

• New Mexico Death Data: Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health.
  (https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/bvrhs/vrp/)
• New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
  (http://gps.unm.edu/)

How the Measure is Calculated

Data Issues

• Death Certificate Data

  Death certificate information is submitted electronically by funeral directors, who obtain demographic information from an informant, a close family member of the decedent. The NMDOH Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS) does annual trainings for funeral directors and local registrars and the death certificate information goes through extensive scrutiny for completeness and consistency. The cause of death is certified by the decedent's physician or the physician that attended the death. Accidental and suspicious deaths are certified by the Office of the Medical Investigator. When death certificates are received the cause of death literals are keyed into software locally by the BVRHS, then shipped to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) where they are machine coded into ICD-10 cause-of-death codes. NCHS returns the ICD-10 codes to BVRHS where the death records are updated.

• New Mexico Population Estimates

  All population estimates apply to July 1 of the selected year. These estimates are considered the most accurate estimates for the state of New Mexico and should match those found on the University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies website. Estimates include decimal fractions. Census tract population estimates were summed to produce County and Small Area population estimates. Population estimate totals may vary due to rounding. Population estimates for previous years are occasionally revised as new information becomes available. When publishing trend data, always be sure that your rates for earlier years match current rates on NM-IBIS that have been calculated with the most up-to-date population estimates.

Health Topic Pages Related to: Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL - Premature Mortality) Before Age 75

• Summary Measures of Health Status