Leading Causes of Deaths

Overall
By Sex
By Age Group 

Overall

The leading causes of death groupings used in this page were based on the work of Roberto Becker (et al) with modifications discussed and approved by the Leading Cause Group subcommittee of the Core Indicators Working Group, Association of Public Health Epidemiologist in Ontario (APHEO).

Over the five years between 2011 and 2015, there were 21,335 deaths among residents of Simcoe Muskoka. The number one cause of death in Simcoe Muskoka during that time period was ischaemic heart disease (IHD), which was listed as the primary cause for 3,076 deaths and accounted for 14% of all deaths. IHD was responsible for nearly twice the number of deaths compared with any other cause during this five-year period in Simcoe Muskoka. Other leading causes of death included dementia and Alzheimer disease, cancer of lungs and bronchus, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, cancer of the colon rectum and anus and diabetes. The leading causes of death for Ontario as a whole over this same time period were quite similar to what was observed in Simcoe Muskoka as depicted below.

By Sex

In Simcoe Muskoka between 2011 and 2015, the leading cause of death for both males and females was IHD. However, the proportion of deaths due to IHD was higher for males (16%) compared with females (12%). The second leading cause of death in males for this time period was cancer of lungs and bronchus, accounting for more than 8% of all deaths. The second leading cause of death among women for this time period was dementia and Alzheimer disease, which accounted for 12% of deaths. Cancer of the lung and bronchus and dementia and Alzheimer disease were the third leading cause of death for women and men respectively. Figure two compares the leading causes of deaths for males and females in Simcoe Muskoka between 2011 and 2015.

By Age Group

In Simcoe Muskoka between 2011 and 2015, there were 111 deaths among infants less than one year of age. The leading causes of death among infants were perinatal conditions and congenital anomalies, which accounted nearly 90% of all deaths. Deaths among children between one and nine years of age were rare, with only 27 recorded in all of Simcoe Muskoka over this five year period. During the same five year time interval the leading causes of deaths among youth (10 to 19 years) were intentional self-harm (32%) and transport accidents (19%). Intentional self-harm was also the leading causes of death among young adults (20 to 44 years of age) followed closely by unintentional poisonings, which were responsible for 17% and 15% (respectively) of the 639 deaths in this age group. The leading causes of death among older adults (45 to 64 years of age) were ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cancer of the lung and bronchus, which accounted for 13.5% and 12% (respectively) of the 3,467 deaths that occurred in this age group over these five years. The leading causes of death among younger seniors (65 to 74 years) were cancer of the lung and bronchus and ischaemic heart disease (IHD), which accounted for 15% and 13% (respectively) of the 3,863 deaths that occurred in this age group over these five years. Seniors aged 75 years and older in Simcoe Muskoka experienced the most deaths between 2007 and 2012 at 13,159. The leading cause of deaths among these older seniors was IHD, which was responsible for 16% of all deaths. Table one below provides a summary of the leading causes of death, by age group, for Simcoe Muskoka between 2011 and 2015 (combined).

Leading Causes of Death, Simcoe Muskoka Residents, by Age Group, 2011 to 2015 (Combined)