G. Mortality Rates Leading Causes of Death The top three leading causes of death in Orange County and California are: heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. The following table illustrates the death rates for the top four leading causes of death in the county and at the state level. Table 26. Leading Causes of Death (2017-2019) Orange County Cases Rate* 4,913 153.9 4,711 147.6 1,426 44.7 1,384 43.4
Cause of Death Heart Disease Cancer Alzheimer’s Stroke
California Cases 62,547 59,962 16,627 16,457
Rate* 139.7 135.0 37.1 37.0
Sources: Orange County’s Healthier Together (2017); Centers for disease Control and Prevention, California Health Indicators (2018). *Crude rates per 100,000 population.
Infant mortality rate In 2017 the infant mortality rate in Orange County was 3.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. This rate is lower than the state’s rate of 4.2. The Hispanic population reported a higher infant mortality rate than any other ethnic and racial groups, followed by Black or African Americans. Figure 5. Infant Mortalit Rate by Race and Ethnicity Hispanics or Latinos
4.0
Blacks or African Americans
3.5
Asians Caucasians Orange County California
2.9 1.9 3.1 4.2
Source: California Department of Public Health, County Health Status Profiles, 2015-2017
H. Chronic Diseases Health Status In Orange County, 14% of residents reported being in poor or fair health. This is slightly lower than the state’s percentage of 4% (Table 27).
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