Key Messages
Overall
By Sex
By Deprivation
Technical Notes
Key Messages
- Preventable mortality refers to deaths among those under 75 years of age that may have possibly been avoided by preventing a disease from developing. This includes deaths from conditions linked to modifiable risk factors, such smoking or excessive alcohol consumption (e.g., lung cancer, liver cirrhosis), and deaths linked to effective public health interventions (e.g., vaccinations, traffic safety legislation).
- The rate of preventable mortality in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario overall has been decreasing significantly since 2000; however, preventable mortality is significantly higher in Simcoe Muskoka when compared with the provincial average.
- Males have significantly higher rates of preventable mortality when compared with females, but the gap has been narrowing in more recent years.
- Rates of preventable mortality are more than double among those living in areas with the most material deprivation when compared with those living in areas with the least amount of deprivation.
Overall
In 2018, the preventable mortality rate in Simcoe Muskoka was 137.5 (128.4, 146.7) per 100,000 (<75 years), which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 118.7 (116.9, 120.5) per 100,000 (<75 years). The Simcoe Muskoka preventable mortality rates declined significantly between 2000 and 2018 at approximately one per cent per year on average. The provincial rates decreased significantly faster than the rates in Simcoe Muskoka from 2000 to 2012 at two per cent per year on average; however, the provincial rates did not change significantly from 2012 to 2018. The rates of preventable deaths in Simcoe Muskoka have been consistently higher than the Ontario rates for the 19-years between 2000 and 2018.
In 2018, the preventable mortality rate among Simcoe Muskoka males (<75 years) was 174.4 (159.6, 189.2) per 100,000, which was significantly higher than the rate of 101.6 (90.6,112.6) per 100,000 Simcoe Muskoka females (<75 years). There was a significant decreasing trend in the rates for both males and females in Simcoe Muskoka over the 19-years from 2000 to 2018; however, the male rate has been decreasing significantly faster than the female rate. The rates of preventable deaths among Simcoe Muskoka males have been consistently higher than the female rates for the entire period.
By Deprivation
For the period from 2014 to 2018 (combined), Simcoe Muskoka residents living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalized Index) had more than double the rate of preventable mortality when compared with those living in areas with the least amount of material deprivation.
Technical Notes
The definition of preventable mortality used in this HealthSTATS page is adopted from the one the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) used in their 2012 Health Indicators report and the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health used in her 2011 Annual Report to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This preventable mortality indicator attempts to quantify the number of premature deaths from causes that could have been prevented (i.e. through lifestyle changes); however, not all deaths that are classified as preventable could have actually been prevented. For the purpose of this HealthSTATS page, preventable mortality will be reported as an age-standardized rate per 100,000 persons aged 0 to 74 years.
Preventable mortality is a subset of deaths that can be considered avoidable by either prevention or treatment. For more information on these indicators and how they are calculated see this page.
Page last updated June 14, 2023