2007 Kansas Vital Statistics Summary Released

The 2007 Annual Summary of Kansas Vital Statistics has been released by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).  The report serves as the baseline document used to assess the health of Kansans. It is used by the department’s program managers, epidemiologists, and other researchers for targeted studies and more specialized evaluations by the public, policy makers, and by federal, state, and local governments.

The tables and charts contained in the report represent are based upon reported data regarding births, stillbirths, deaths, marriages, marriage dissolutions (divorce and annulment), and abortions. Analysis of trend data, county data, and a comparison of Kansas to the nation are included in this report.  Some of the highlights include:

• In 2007, a total of 41,951 births were registered to Kansas residents, 1,055 more than in 2006. The number of births in 2007 is the highest reported since 1981 (41,202).
   
• Addison and Aiden were the most popular names given to newborns by Kansas parents in 2007.  For the second consecutive year, the top name for both girls and boys is not gender-specific.
   
• The percent of Kansas resident live births where the mother received adequate prenatal care was 77.3 percent in 2007.  This compares with 78.4 percent in 2006.
   
• Out-of-wedlock births in Kansas followed the national trend, increasing to 36.4 percent of live births (15,252 out of 41,951).
   
• In 2007, the teen pregnancy rate for Kansas was 27.8 per 1,000 female ages 10-19.  This compares with 27.1 in 2006.  The rate for Hispanic teens (ages 10-19) continues to be higher than that for other racial and ethnic groups.
   
• Almost half of the abortions performed in Kansas occurred to non-Kansans. The abortion ratio, since reaching a peak of 186.3 per 1,000 live births in 1996, has generally declined by 27.3 percent to 135.4 per 1,000 live births in 2007.
   
• In 2007, a total of 333 infants died before reaching their first birthdays - 40 more deaths than in 2006 (293).  This is the highest number reported in the past 20 years.
   
• With a black infant mortality rate (BIMR) of 19.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2007, the BIMR for Kansas remains over two times the rate for any other racial or ethnic group.
   
• Between 1999 and 2007, the age-adjusted death rate for heart disease, the leading cause of death for Kansans, decreased by nearly 25 percent (24.8).
   
• Marriage and marriage dissolution rates have dropped by a quarter and nearly a third, respectively, since 1988.
   

The 2007 Annual Summary of Vital Statistics is available in a PDF format at www.kdheks.gov/ches/index.html.  Requests for single, printed copies of the Annual Summary can be made by calling the KDHE Center for Health and Environmental Statistics, Office of Health Assessment at 785-296-8627 or 1-800-332-6262 (TDD/TT).

Note to reporters: A table containing selected vital statistics is listed below.

Selected Vital Event Rates
& Ratios, Kansas, 2006-2007