Coroner’s cases with Society involvement compared with coroner’s cases without Society involvement – gender and age

In 2016, a binomial test indicated that the proportion of female decedents between the ages of 0-18 was 41% (n=166) and 41% in 2017 (n=173) which was lower than the expected 50%, p<0.001 for both years.  This is consistent with previous years.  A binomial test indicated that the proportion of female paediatric decedents investigated by a coroner with Society involvement of 50% in 2016 (n=58) and 56% in 2017 (n=68) was consistent with the expected value of 50%, p=0.068 for 2016 and p=0.078 for 2017. 

Charts 13A and 13B demonstrates the proportion of coroner investigations with and without Society involvement within the percentage of all paediatric deaths between the ages of 0-18 that occurred across five age groups in Ontario. 

The number of deaths with Society involvement was compared to the number of coroner investigations without such, across age groups to evaluate if the Society involved population was the same as population of paediatric deaths that are the subject of a coroner investigation without Society involvement.

The 2016 and 2017 data, within the context of limitations noted earlier, demonstrated that 15-18 year old decedents were less likely to have Society involvement prior to their death.  There was no significant difference in other age groups.

When reviewed as a five-year cohort of data, those under age one and those aged 10 – 14 were proportionately more likely to have Society involvement prior to their death. 

The proportion of deaths across age groups was similar from each year, from 2013-2017.

Chart 13A: Proportion of deaths across age groups in 2016

• Chart 13A compares the proportion of coroner investigations with and without Society involvement within the percentage of all paediatric deaths of children and youth between the ages of 0-18 in Ontario across five age groups in 2016. The data demonstrates that of the coroners’ investigations, 15-18 year old decedents were proportionately less likely to have Society involvement prior to their death. There was no significant difference in other age groups.

Chart 13B: Proportion of deaths across age groups in 2017

• Chart 13B compares the proportion of coroner investigations with and without Society involvement within all paediatric deaths between the ages of 0-18 in Ontario across five age groups in 2017. The data demonstrates that of the coroners’ investigations, 15-18 year old decedents were proportionately less likely to have Society involvement prior to their death. There was no significant difference in other age groups.

The regional distribution of Ontario’s paediatric population and paediatric deaths correlate (see Charts 14A and 14B); however, analysis of the available data shows that there is a significant difference across the four regions of Ontario, between the proportion of paediatric deaths in Ontario and the proportion of Coroner's investigations in Ontario with Society Involvement^{footnote 1[1]}. 

As in previous years, fewer deaths with Society involvement appear to occur in the Central region when compared to the overall number of child deaths in Ontario and the data continue to suggest that more deaths with Society involvement occur in the North when compared to the overall number of child deaths in Ontario. This has increased from previous years.  In 2016, six per cent of paediatric deaths in Ontario occurred in the North overall, with 25% of all Ontario paediatric deaths with Society involvement occurring in that region.  Similarly in 2017, seven per cent of paediatric deaths in Ontario occurred in the North overall, with 26% of all Ontario paediatric deaths with Society involvement occurring in that region.

As noted in previous annual reports, there are a number of potential reasons that may be associated with the apparent overrepresentation of child and youth deaths with Society involvement in the North, including but not limited to: lower health status, challenges to accessing healthcare services and higher mortality rates that increase with remote place of residence^{footnote 2[2]}.

In 2016, available data indicated that 68% of the deaths with Society involvement that occurred in the North region were Indigenous children and youth; in 2017 it was 64%. This is higher than in 2015 and closer to what was observed in 2014.

While the percentage of all paediatric coroner investigations in 2016 completed in the North – was similar to the percentage of paediatric deaths in that region (6%), it was less than the percentage of paediatric deaths with Society involvement in that region (25% in 2016). In 2017, the percentage of all paediatric coroner investigations in the region (7%) was similar to the percentage of paediatric deaths (6%) while the percentage of deaths with Society involvement in the North was similarly higher at 26% This may suggest that the higher percentage of paediatric deaths with Society involvement in the North relative to other regions may arise from a combination of several factors.

Chart 14A: Proportions of Ppaediatric population in Ontario, paediatric deaths in Ontario, and coroner’s investigations in Ontario with Society involvement, 2016, by region

• Chart 14A illustrates that the percentage of paediatric deaths occurring in each region of the province is almost the same as the percentage of children and youth across Ontario, by region. More deaths with Society involvement occurred in the North (25%), when compared to the number of paediatric deaths that occurred in that region as a proportion of total paediatric deaths in Ontario (6%).

Chart 14B: Proportions of paediatric population in Ontario, paediatric deaths in Ontario, and coroner’s investigations in Ontario with Society involvement, 2017, by region

• Chart 14B illustrates that the percentage of paediatric deaths occurring in each region of the province is almost the same as the percentage of children and youth across Ontario, by region. More deaths with Society involvement occurred in the North (26%), when compared to the number of paediatric deaths that occurred in that region as a proportion of total paediatric deaths in Ontario (7%).

Note: The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Central Region includes Toronto.