Tennessee General Population Health Statistics

Tennessee Birth Statistics

About

The following reports provide information on Tennessee resident pregnancies and live births reported to the Office of Vital Records by county and metropolitan health departments, hospitals, midwives, and other health providers. The published reports include statistics on general and age-specific fertility rates, infant health conditions like preterm birth and low birthweight, and breastfeeding initiation. These results are presented alongside geographic, age, race, and ethnicity information for the pregnancy and birth events.

Birth statistics are based only on pregnancies that result in a live birth as defined by TCA § 68-3-102(10). Reports on Tennessee resident pregnancies include live births, fetal deaths (spontaneous miscarriages of 20 weeks or greater gestation or birthweight of at least 350 grams), and induced terminations of pregnancy (abortion).

Terminology

Singleton live births: Pregnancies that produce and result in the delivery of one infant.

Crude birth rate: The number of births for every 1,000 residents in the indicated population, where the population includes men, women, and people of all ages.

General fertility rate: The number of births for every 1,000 female residents in the indicated population that are in reproductive ages, between 15 and 44. General fertility rate is preferred to the crude birth rate to measure population growth and change.

Age-specific fertility rate: The general fertility rate in an age group or the number of births for every 1,000 female residents in the indicated population within a specific age group. Teen pregnancies (e.g., ages 15-17) are an example of an age-specific fertility rate.

Total fertility rate: The OECD describes total fertility rate as “the total number of children that would be born to each woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years” and experience the same age-specific fertility rate at each stage of her life. Total fertility adds age-specific fertility rates in proportion to the number of years in each age group. A total fertility rate greater than 2.0 is considered replacement level.

Race and ethnicity: The Tennessee birth certificate records information on race and ethnicity of the parents according to how each parent identifies. Race and ethnicity are asked separately and each parent may describe themselves as identifying with up to 15 race categories and one of five (5) Hispanic or non-Hispanic origins.

For statistical presentation, Tennessee reports birth and pregnancy statistics according to the race and ethnicity with which the mother or pregnant woman identifies. This follows 1997 Office of Management and Budged (OMB) standards on race and ethnicity and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) approaches. The race and ethnicity of the infant or fetus is not separately collected or calculated from the reported races and ethnicities of the parents.

Birth and pregnancy reports show race as a single, predominant race that is estimated from the race or races that describe the pregnant woman and from the demographic characteristics of their county of residence. Predominant race is based on the bridged race methodology created by CDC-NCHS. Ethnicity is tabulated separately from race such that counts or rates represent individuals of Hispanic origin, regardless of race.

Pregnancies and General Fertility Rates by Demographic Groups and Geographic Area

Reports of all recorded Tennessee resident pregnancies regardless of outcome; includes live births, fetal deaths, and induced terminations of pregnancy.

Live Births and Rates by Demographic Groups and Geographic Area

Reports of Tennessee resident live births and fertility rates.

Selected Live Birth Outcomes and Infant Conditions

Reports of Tennessee resident live births with counts and percentages describing the incidence of selected outcomes or conditions.

Note: The methodological approaches for tabulating reports on Preterm Birth, Low Birthweight, Breastfeeding Initiation, and Marital Status were revised in November 2020 for births occurring in 2019 and forward.

Specifically, when the outcome of the selected condition is unknown, the record is defined as missing for statistical purposes and is not included in the total count of events. This follows the approach used by the National Center for Health Statistics for the presentation of birth statistics.

Counts for these events may not sum to the total number of births. Rates and percentages are based on the total number of births where the outcome being analyzed is known and valid. The number of excluded cases is listed in each report. Data users should take care when comparing tables prepared for 2019 and forward with reports from previous years.

Tennessee Death Statistics

About

These published reports of Tennessee death statistics provide information on overall Tennessee resident mortality for all causes of death, leading causes of death, and demographic details for selected causes of death.

Terminology

Crude mortality rate: Also referred to as simply a "rate", the number of deaths occurring during the year for a given number (usually 1,000) of residents in the indicated geographic area, regardless of the distribution of ages in the population.

Age-adjusted mortality rate: The number of deaths occurring during the year for a set number (usually 100,000) residents in the indicated geographic area with respect to the age distribution in the area's population. The mortality rate is adjusted by calculating death rates for specific age groups and weighing the reported rate in proportion to the size of each age group.

Race and ethnicity: Race and ethnicity are recorded on the Tennessee death certificate from information collected from the informant. Race and ethnicity are asked separately and an informant may describe the deceased as having identified with any of up to 15 race categories and one of five (5) Hispanic or non-Hispanic origins.

For statistical presentation, Tennessee reports a single, predominant race that is estimated from the race or races that describe the deceased and from the demographic characteristics of their county of residence. Predominant race is based on the bridged race methodology created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Ethnicity is tabulated separately from race such that counts or rates represent individuals of Hispanic origin, regardless of race.

Sex: Sex is recorded on the Tennessee death certificate from information collected from the informant and/or the physician that certifies the cause of death. Sex may be verified for selected causes of death, but is otherwise recorded as provided by vital records informants.

All-Cause Death Counts and Mortality Rates by Demographic Groups and Geographic Area

Leading Causes of Death

The most frequently occurring underlying conditions or diseases or fatal injuries in a population that can be ranked according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (CDC-NCHS).

Deaths and Mortality Rates for Selected Causes of Death

About

This page presents information on induced terminations of pregnancy (ITOP) in Tennessee. Except where otherwise noted -- recorded occurrences by patient residence and selected complications -- statistics are based on Tennessee resident ITOPs (abortions) reported to the Office of Vital Records.

Statistical reports of induced termination of pregnancy are provided in accordance with the Department’s rules and regulations, Tenn. Comp. R. & Reg. 1200-07-01-.07(1). 

Terminology

Recorded events: Events that occur at a health care facility located in the State of Tennessee, regardless of the residence of the person who is the object of analysis.

Resident events: Events where a Tennessee resident is the object of analysis, regardless of where the event occurs.

Crude termination rate: The number of ITOPs for every 1,000 residents in the indicated population, where the population includes men and women and people of all ages. Crude termination rate is defined for comparison with general termination rates and crude event rates published for other vital events, but crude rates are not presented on this page.

General termination rate: The number of ITOPs for every 1,000 female residents in the indicated population. Two age ranges are used in calculating the general termination rate: standard ages for reproduction, 15-44, and a wider range, 10-44. General termination rate is preferred to the crude rate to measure abortion prevalence.

General termination-to-live birth ratio: The number of ITOPs for every 1,000 live births to female residents, aged 15 to 44 or 10 to 44, depending on the report, in the indicated population.

Race and ethnicity: The Tennessee ITOP report records information on race and ethnicity according to how the patient identifies. Race and ethnicity are asked separately and the patient may identify with up to 15 race categories and one of five (5) Hispanic or non-Hispanic origins.

For statistical presentation, Tennessee reports a single, predominant race that is estimated from the race or races that describe the patient and from the demographic characteristics of their county of residence. Predominant race is based on the bridged race methodology created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Ethnicity is tabulated separately from race such that counts or rates represent individuals of Hispanic origin, regardless of race.

ITOP General Rates and Ratios by Demographic Groups and Health Region

ITOP Reports by Health Region for Selected Demographic (Age, Race, Marital Status) Indicators

Report format published for the years 2018 and prior. Note that demographic indicators reported in previous ITOP report versions are available as stand-alone tables on this page.

• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2018
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2017
  
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2016
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2015
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2014
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2013
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2012
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2011
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2010
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2009
• Induced Termination of Pregnancy 2008

ITOP Counts and Rates by Selected Indicators

Tennessee Injury Surveillance

The Injury Surveillance Program (ISP) collects injury reports from partners within the Department of Health and crash reports from partners at the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The ISP has a data system that ties the injury reports together with the crash reports for anyone that has been in a crash and then goes to the hospital or dies in Tennessee. This data system shows why and how residents and visitors are getting hurt in car crashes on Tennessee roads. Using this, the ISP and its partners can figure out how to help stop bad crashes from happening in Tennessee in the future.

The Tennessee Department of Health’s Injury Surveillance Program receives funding from Tennessee’s Highway Safety Office.

To request data or statistics from Tennessee’s Injury Surveillance Program, please visit the data request system website.

For more information about Tennessee’s Injury Surveillance Program, please e-mail Injury.Surveillance@tn.gov.

Reports and Publications

Tennessee Marriage & Divorce Statistics

About

These published reports provide information on marriages and divorces recorded in Tennessee by the county clerks' offices and courts, respectively, across the state and registered with the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. They present the number and crude event rates per 1,000 Tennessee residents. For marriages, additional information on the ages of the parties to the union is reported.

Terminology

Crude event rate: The number of events - marriages or divorces - that occurred during the year for a given number (usually 1,000) of residents in the indicated geographic area, regardless of the distribution of ages or marital status of the population. Also simply referred to as a "rate", crude event rate allows a data user to compare information over time. This is the statistic presented in Tennessee reports of marriages and divorces.

Age/Sex adjusted event rate: The number of events that occurred during the year with respect to a specific segment of the population, which adjusts the ratio to compare the number of events with a relevant group. In marriage and divorce events, this may be the population that is of a typical age for marriage. For example, the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey calculates an age- and sex-adjusted rate for marriage and divorce as the number of events for every 1,000 women aged 15 and older.

Partner 1/Partner 2: In 2015, the Tennessee Department of Health modified the Certificate of Marriage, which allowed parties to appear in any order on the marriage license and to accommodate designators other than "Groom" and "Bride." "Partner 1" and "Partner 2" are used for the purposes of statistical presentation to represent the order in which the parties are listed on the marriage certificate.

Marriage Counts and Crude Rates by County

Divorce Counts and Crude Rates by County

Selected Topics on Marriage and Divorce

Men's Health Statistics

• The Health of Tennessee's Men 2013
• The Health of Tennessee's Men 2012
• The Health of Tennessee's Men 2011
• The Health of Tennessee's Men 2010
• The Health of Tennessee's Men 2009

Occupational Health & Safety Surveillance

The Occupational Health Safety and Surveillance Program seeks to identify and understand the health and safety risks that Tennessee workers face. We come to this understanding through analysis of the available data related to health and workers, as well as collaborating with others concerned about workers' safety. Based on our analysis, we provide insight to improve prevention and outreach efforts.

The Tennessee Department of Health receives funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) State Surveillance Program.

Occupational Health Indicator Reports 

Report of Tennessee Occupational Health Indicators 2013 - 2017

Other Projects 

• Environmental analysis of Daily Emergency Departments Visits in Shelby County
• Air Pollutants and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease Emergency Department Visits Outcomes in Shelby County, Tennessee
• Applying Text Mining in Industry and Occupation Narratives Conversion 
•  Analysis of COVID-19 deaths by occupation and industry

Contact

Email: Occupational.HealthSurveillance@tn.gov

Tennessee Population Statistics

 Population Excel Files

• Population Projections 2024-2026
• Population Projections 2024-2028
• Tennessee Population 2024
• Tennessee Population 2023
• Tennessee Population 2022
• Tennessee Population 2021
• Tennessee Population 2020
  
• Tennessee Population 2019
• Population Projections 2023-2025
• Population Projections 2023-2027
• Tennessee Population 2018
  
• Tennessee Population 2017
• Tennessee Population 2016
• Population Projections 2020-2034
  
• Tennessee Population 2015
• Tennessee Population 2014
• Tennessee Population 2010-2013

If projections data are needed for Certificate of Need applications please submit a data request to the Division of Policy, Planning and Assessment via this link.

About Vital Statistics

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) collects vital statistics information from certificates of live birth, death, marriage, divorce, and reports of fetal death and induced terminations of pregnancy that are recorded in Tennessee by the Office of Vital Records and Statistics.

The following pages present important information about the health of Tennessee residents, obtained from vital records. These topics include birth and fertility rates, pregnancy outcomes such as low birthweight or preterm birth and pregnancy termination, leading causes of death, mortality rates, and marriage and divorce statistics. The provided reports break down the statistics for these health outcomes by demographic characteristics, such as Health region or county of residence, race and ethnicity, age, and sex.

All reports are prepared according to TDH guidance for the release of aggregate data to the public (updated July 2020). Values may be masked or perturbed to reduce the risk of inadvertent disclosure and to protect data confidentiality.

Information not contained in these reports may be requested by submitting an application to the Department of Health using the "Data Request" link.

Tennessee Health Regions

Vital statistics are reported based on the State, Health Region, or County of residence for Tennessee residents. Health Regions are defined according to the geographic areas of the Regional Health Departments and local, Metropolitan Health Departments. The Department of Health shares contact information for local and regional health agencies: https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/localdepartments.html

For vital statistics users' reference, counties are grouped into Health Regions as follows:

Women's Health Statistics

• Women's Health 2013
• Women's Health 2012
• Women's Health 2011
• Women's Health 2010
• Women's Health 2009
• Women's Health 2008

Years of Potential Life Lost Statistics

• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2017
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2016
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2015
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2014
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2013
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2012
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2011
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2010
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2009
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2008
• Leading Causes of Death Based on Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County 2007

• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2017
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2016
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2015
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2014
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2013
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2012
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2011
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2010
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2009
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2008
• Years of Potential Life Lost Prior to Age 75 Years, by County and Race 2007