77
Another factor that changed significantly is the
mothers’ marital status at the birth of the first child.
After 2004, the percentage of unmarried women in-
creased across almost all population groups. In 2012
half of Mexican, Central American and South Ameri-
can women were unmarried or cohabiting when their
first childwas born. Conversely, seven out of tenAfri-
canAmericans andonly threeout of tennon-Hispanic
whitewomenwereunmarried (Figure68).
Mortality
TheHispanicpopulationhas lower
mortality rates than theAfricanAmerican
andnon-Hispanicwhitepopulation
Between2004and2011, the total number of deaths
among the Hispanic population increased by almost
22%, whereas the riseamong thenon-Hispanicwhite
population was only 3.8% and the rate remained re-
latively stable amongAfricanAmericans (Figure 69).
However, adjustedmortality rates showadecrease in
mortalityamongalmost all populationgroups, 15.2%
among African Americans (from 1 063 to 902 per
100,000 people), 12.3% among Hispanics (from
617 to 541 per 100 000 people) and 6.7% among
non-Hispanicwhites (from808 to754 per 100000
people) (Figure70).
The incidence of the four leading causes
of death is lower amongHispanics than
non-Hispanicwhites, with the exception
of diabetesmellitus
Four important causes of death in the United States
for the period from2008 to2010 are cardiovascular
diseases, cancers, diabetesmellitus and non-intentio-
nal lesions.
4
The Hispanic population has the lowest
mortality rates across all age groups, both for cardio-
4
Sincepersonsunder55havevery low ratesofdeathcausedby illness,only
theagegroups inwhich thedifferences betweenpopulationgroups canbe
perceivedmore clearlyare shown.
Source: ProducedbyCONAPObasedondata fromCenters forDiseaseControl (CDC)andPreventionand theNational
Center forHealthStatistics (NCHS), National Vital StatisticsSystem (NVSS), Births, 2012.
Figure66. Specific fertility ratebyagegroupamongwomenofMexicanOrigin in the
UnitedStates, 2004and2011
chapter iv •
fertility and mortality among the hispanic population
