mortality rates in kermanshah province – 2000

background & objective: mortality data can be the starting point for many epidemiological surveys. this study was conducted to determine the mortality rates of kermanshah province in 1379.   materials and methods:   mortality rate of rural and urban areas were obtained from kermanshah health center and baghferdows cemetery's archives,  respectively. the data of other cities of the province were gathered through health  centers through  a standard national  chart.   the chart, which has been delivery by university's machine – readable services (ums) consists of  17 etiologies of death. statistical data related to the cemetery of sonies and other religious minorities were not obtained. the completed forms were checked and coded.  the repetitive items were omitted. the needed population size were obtained form the health affairs organization of kermanshah province. results: a total of   9234 dead persons were reported in kermanshah province (%41.3 female and %58.5 male). the crude death rate was 5.06 per thousand; median age was 50 +30 year, %67.8 were from  urban and %32.2 from   rural areas. the five common causes of death were cardiac disease (1.8 per 1000), suicide, poisoning and accidents (0.76 per1000), poorly defined causes (0.72 per 1000),  cancer (0.45 per1000), and prepartum illnesses (0.41 per 1000). discussion :   mortality rates in kermanshah province are  higher than the national norms. the mortality rate from five common causes of death is  also higher when compared to the  national norms. there is a need  to study the causes of high  mortality rate in kermanshah, especially those due to  cardiac disease