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Health Indicator Report of Age-Specific Birth Rates

Tracking age-specific birth rate patterns shows not only trends in teen births but also trends among older mothers. Teenage pregnancy and childbearing are ongoing public health concerns and the focus of considerable public policy debate. Babies born to teenage mothers are at elevated risk of poor birth outcomes, including higher rates of low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant death. The limited educational, social, and financial resources often available to teenage mothers add to their higher risk profile.

Notes

Data for White and Black do not include Hispanics. Hispanic ethnicity includes persons of any race. **The number of births is too small to calculate reliable rates.

Data Sources

  • Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
  • National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Vintage 2017 bridged-race postcensal population estimates. [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm] as of June 27, 2018.
  • National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Revised 1990-2009 bridged-race intercensal population estimates. [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm] as of October 26, 2012.

Definition

The number of resident live births to females in a specific age group per 1,000 females in the age group.

Numerator

The number of resident live births to females in a specific age group

Denominator

The number of females in the age group

Healthy People Objective: Reduce the pregnancy rate among adolescent females aged 15 to 17 years

U.S. Target: 36.2 pregnancies per 1,000
State Target: is not comparable because it is for births only, not all pregnancy outcomes

Other Objectives

'''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective MCH-10''': Reduce the birth rate per 1,000 females aged 15-17 to 3.6 for the total population, 0.7 among Whites, 6.7 among Blacks, and 9.1 among Hispanics. '''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective MCH-10''': Reduce the birth rate per 1,000 females aged 15-17 to 11.4 for the total population, 2.5 among Whites, 25.6 among Blacks, and 31.4 among Hispanics. ''All targets have been met.''

How Are We Doing?

In New Jersey, the highest birth rate is among mothers 30-34 years old. Birth rates among women 30 years old and over increased while birth rates among mothers under 30 years old decreased between 1990 and 2020. For all age groups under 30, Hispanic mothers have the highest birth rate followed by Blacks and then Whites. For those 30-39 years old, Asians and Whites have the highest rates. Births to teens of all ages and races/ethnicities have been declining for decades and continue to do so. The original and the more stringent revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 targets were achieved by all racial/ethnic groups. The teen birth rate in Cumberland County, however, is significantly higher than the rates of every other New Jersey county.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

Teen birth rates in New Jersey as well as the rates among those 20-29 years old are substantially lower than in the nation as a whole. Rates among those 30 and over are higher in New Jersey than in the nation as a whole.

What Is Being Done?

The [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/maternalchild/ Division of Family Health Services] in the New Jersey Department of Health administers programs to enhance the health, safety and well-being of families and communities in New Jersey.
Page Content Updated On 05/19/2022, Published on 05/19/2022
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Fri, 29 March 2024 1:03:39 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

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