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Show V,', ' '. . HVi'y A TENT DRAPED over some limbs looked over by a sheriff's deputy provides shelter for a camper along the Green River near Jensen. The sheriff's department started advising campers along the river and elsewhere in the county that they would have to move. fl 900 census reports Uvato deavh cave low Utah's death rates for the leading causes of death is significantly lower than the national rate, confirm results of the 1980 census. The Utah death rate is lower than the national rate for every age grouping until age 85 and older. The four leading causes of death for Utahns, and all other Americans, are diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasms (cancer), cerebrovascular i diseases (strokes), and accidents and j other adverse effects. These four causes of death represent 68 percent of Utah deaths and 73 percent of deaths in the nation. This information is part of a large amount of vital statistical information released by the Utah Department of Health in the 1980 Utah Vital Statistics i Annual Report. Heart disease is the number one killer in the country with over one-third of all deaths from this disease. The rate per 100,000 deaths is 343 for the nation and 194.7 for Utah. There is considerable difference between these rates, but for the percent of deaths, the nation is at 38.4 percent and Utah is close behind with 35.4 percent of all deaths. Cancer, the second leading killer, per 100,000 in the U.S. is twice the Utah rate: 186.3, U.S. and 93.6, Utah. The percentage is much closer however, - 20.9 percent of U.S. deaths and 17 percent of Utah deaths. Stroke, the third cause of death in the U.S. is 76.6 per 100,000 and Utah's rate is 43.9. Accidents, automobile and all others, and "adverse effect" is the fourth leading cause of death. The national rate is 47.9 per 100,000 and Utah's rate is 43.6. The difference is much closer on the rate as the percent of deaths is higher in Utah at 7.9 percent, with the national 5.4 percent. The common factor for the four leading causes of death, is that they are directly related to factors which the individual, to a large degree, can control. Self-imposed lifestyle risks as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, not using seatbelts and lack of exercise can be linked to one or more of these four major killers. One reason for Utah's consistently lower rate of death can be attributed to the generally healthier lifestyle of Utahns and a generally younger population. The report noted Utah is continuing to decline in infant death rate. In 1980, Utah had an infant death rate of 10.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Provisonal national data indicate the U.S. infant death rate in 1980 was 12.5 per 1,000 live births. The report also shows Utah with a slightly higher suicide rate, 12.9 per 100,000 compared to the U.S. rate of 12.7 per 100,000. The suicide rate for all the western states is higher than the national rate and of the western states, Utah has the lowest rate, except for Hawaii. Of particular concern is the increase in the number of suicides in Utah. The report indicates that 137 Utah males i and 53 Utah females took their lives in 1980. This compares to 114 males and 42 females in 1970. The report notes that births to Utah residents increased by 55 percent from 1970 to 1980 with 26,969 births in 1970 and 41, 786 in 1980. The reason for the increase is an increase of 110,000 resident women in the child bearing age group; from 229,700 in 1970 to 339,799 in 1980. |