The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 27 January 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the 10 most frequently recorded causes of death for (a) men, (b) women, (c) boys under the age of 18 years and (d) girls under the age of 18 years were in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency in each of the last five years. (312783)
The tables attached present the ten most frequently recorded causes of death1, for (a) males aged 18 years and over (Table 1) and (b) females aged 18 years and over (Table 2), in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath parliamentary constituency, for the years 2004 to 2008 (the latest year available).
Due to the small numbers of deaths of (c) boys under the age of 18 years and (d) girls under the age of 18 years, equivalent information for frequently recorded causes of death could not be produced.
Individual causes of death are coded by ONS using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The causes of death shown in the tables are groups of codes designed for the tabulation of deaths according to ‘main’ causes.2
1 In some years, more than ten causes of death are presented where the numbers of deaths were the same as those for the tenth most frequent cause.
2 Griffiths, C, Rooney, C, and Brock, A. (2005) ‘Leading causes of death in England and Wales—how should we group causes?’ Health Statistics Quarterly 28, 6-17.
Years when this was a main cause of death for males Cause of death4 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 ICD-10 Codes Aortic aneurysm and dissection * — — — — I71 Cerebrovascular diseases * * * * * I60-I69 Chronic lower respiratory diseases * * * * * J40-J47 Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver — * — * — K70-K76 Dementia and Alzheimer's disease * * * * * F01, F03, G30 Diabetes * * * * * E10-E14 Diseases of the urinary system — — — — * N00-N39 Heart failure and complications and ill-defined heart disease — — * — — I50-I51 Hypertensive diseases — * — — — I10-I15 Influenza and pneumonia * * * * * J10-J18 Ischaemic heart diseases * * * * * I20-I25 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus * * — * * C18-C21 Malignant (cancer) neoplasm of oesophagus — — — — * C15 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of pancreas * — * — — C25 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of prostate * * * * — C61 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of stomach — * — * — C16 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of trachea, bronchus and lung * * * * * C33-C34 Malignant neoplasms (cancer) of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue — — — * C81-C96 Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use — * — — — F10-F19 1 Most frequent causes of death recorded as the underlying cause in male deaths registered in the year in question. These causes accounted for 64 per cent. of all male deaths in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath parliamentary constituency between 2004 and 2008. 2 Cause of death in England and Wales is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). 3 Based on boundaries as of 2009. 4 The words in brackets have been added for clarity and are not part of the International Classification of Diseases.
Years when this was a main cause of death for females Cause of death4 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 ICD-10 Codes Accidental falls * — — — — W00-W19 Cerebrovascular diseases * * * * * I60-I69 Chronic lower respiratory diseases * * * * * J40-J47 Dementia and Alzheimer's disease * * * * * F01, F03, G30 Diabetes * — * * * E10-E14 Diseases of the urinary system * * * * * N00-N39 Heart failure and complications and ill-defined heart disease * * — * — I50-I51 Influenza and pneumonia * * * * * J10-J18 Ischaemic heart diseases * * * * * I20-I25 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus — — * * * C18-C21 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of ovary — * — — — C56 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of pancreas — — — * — C25 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of stomach * — — — — C16 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of trachea, bronchus and lung * * * * * C33-C34 Malignant neoplasms (cancer) of breast * * * * * C50 Malignant neoplasms (cancer) of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue — — — * — C81-C96 1 Most frequent causes of death recorded as the underlying cause in female deaths registered in the year in question. These causes accounted for 63 per cent. of all female deaths in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath parliamentary constituency between 2004 and 2008. 2 Cause of death in England and Wales is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). 3 Based on boundaries as of 2009. 4 The words in brackets have been added for clarity and are not part of the International Classification of Diseases.