Mortality Rate - Women in West Virginia

West Virginia

The death rate among women of reproductive age increased between 2011 and 2019. Low education, poverty, racial segregation and inadequate social support contribute to premature death. The leading causes of death among women ages 20-44 in 2021 were unintentional injuries (led by poisoning and motor vehicle accidents), COVID-19, cancer, heart disease and suicide. 

Pregnancy-related death, or maternal mortality, is another contributor to premature mortality rates among women of reproductive age. After March 2020, a substantial increase in maternal deaths was reported, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The death of a woman of reproductive age adversely impacts her family and community. The early death of a mother or parent can lead to depression, anxiety and other long-term emotional problems in children, and is associated with decreased academic performance.

According to America’s Health Rankings data, the mortality rate is higher among:

• American Indian/Alaska Native women compared with all other racial/ethnic groups. Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Black women also have a high mortality rate. It was lowest among Asian, multiracial, Hispanic and white women.

Studies have also found that the mortality rate is higher among:

• Women living in rural areas compared with women living in urban areas.
• Less-wealthy women compared with wealthier women.
• Women with less than a high school education compared with women with a college degree; the mortality rate was lower with each increase in education level. 

Many deaths that occur among women of reproductive age are preventable. Strategies to reduce premature death within this population target the leading causes of death, including:

• Promoting the use of seat belts to reduce motor vehicle fatalities.
• Funding projects to prevent opioid misuse in women and girls may help decrease overdose deaths in the long run.
• Encouraging lifestyle changes, including healthy eating habits, regular physical activity and smoking cessation, may reduce the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer.
• Implementing universal suicide screening in emergency rooms and Safety Planning Interventions can reduce suicide deaths by providing evidence-based coping strategies and supporting high-risk patients.
• Getting screened for cancer; cancer screening can lead to earlier detection, when cancers are easier to treat. 
• Intimate partner violence (IPV) lethality risk assessments may prevent violence by identifying at-risk women and connecting them with life-saving safety planning and services. Other IPV prevention measures include teaching safe and healthy relationship skills and recognizing risky situations and behaviors in young individuals.

Death related to or aggravated by pregnancy also uniquely contributes to mortality rates among women of reproductive age. At the state level, age-adjusted all-cause mortality among women ages 15-44 is highly correlated with pregnancy-related mortality. The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health offers toolkits, patient safety bundles and other resources to support and guide quality improvement efforts in health care facilities to prevent pregnancy-related deaths. The CDC recently established the Hear Her campaign, to increase awareness of urgent warning signs to help prevent pregnancy-related deaths. Safe access to maternal care and facilities during pregnancy could also reduce mortality.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published an opioid overdose prevention toolkit for providers, communities, local governments and consumers. The National Institute on Drug Abuse offers resources and advice about what to do if someone you know has a problem with illicit drugs.

Healthy People 2030 has several goals related to reducing premature mortality among women, including:

• Reducing breast cancer deaths.
• Reducing maternal deaths.
• Reducing drug overdose deaths.

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