60:40119 Bernabeu
Mestre, Josep. The role of mortality in the development of
the population of Valencia. [El papel de la mortalidad en la
evolucion de la poblacion valenciana.] ISBN 84-7784-994-3. 1991. 220
pp. Instituto de Cultura Juan Gil Albert: Alicante, Spain. In Spa.
This is one in a series of five volumes that are the proceedings of
the Second Conference of the Asociacion de Demografia Historica, which
was held in Alicante, Spain, in April 1990. This volume contains 14
papers on mortality in Valencia, Spain, from the seventeenth to
twentieth century. One paper examines causes of death in France since
1925.
Correspondence: Instituto de Cultura Juan Gil Albert,
Avenida Estacion 6, 03005 Alicante, Spain. Location: Institut
National d'Etudes Demographiques, Paris, France.
60:40120 Bernhardt,
Eva M. Overcrowding and mortality from airborne infectious
disease: the case of Stockholm 1895-1925. Stockholm Research
Reports in Demography, No. 83, ISBN 91-7820-086-5. May 1994. 27 pp.
Stockholm University, Demography Unit: Stockholm, Sweden. In Eng.
The author uses data from housing censuses taken between 1895 and
1920 to examine the factors affecting the marked decline in mortality
that occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, over this period. The tentative
conclusions drawn are that the relief from overcrowding that occurred
during this time period was not the most important factor affecting
mortality, and that improvements in sanitation may have had more
impact.
Correspondence: Stockholm University, Demography
Unit, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
60:40121 Farchi,
Gino; Fidanza, F.; Mariotti, S.; Menotti, A. Is diet an
independent risk factor for mortality? 20 year mortality in the
Italian rural cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 48, No. 1, 1994. 19-29 pp.
Basingstoke, England. In Eng.
"The relation of diet to mortality is
examined using the data of the Italian rural cohorts of the Seven
Countries Study, a prospective investigation of factors related to
cardiovascular disease. The present analysis includes 1,536 men aged
45-64 years, whose dietary habits and food consumption, including
alcoholic beverages, were measured in 1965....Large differences in
survival probabilities were observed for different dietary
patterns....The dietary pattern that corresponded to the lowest
mortality rate...was: more than 2,800 [calories per day], with more
than 41% of the calories coming from carbohydrates, more than 9% from
proteins, between 16% and 23% from unsaturated lipids, and between 13%
and 19% from alcohol."
Correspondence: G. Farchi, Istituto
Superiore di Sanita, Laboratorio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica,
Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40122 Gong,
Hongmian; Dutt, Ashok K. Mortality and health care
planning in China's cities. Asian Profile, Vol. 21, No. 3, Jun
1993. 189-200 pp. Hong Kong. In Eng.
"In this paper, socioeconomic
factors affecting mortality and spatial pattern of health care planning
in China's cities are analyzed to promote an understanding of Chinese
health conditions and health care planning." Data are from the 1987
Statistical Yearbook of Chinese Cities. The results show that the
cities with higher mortality have a higher provision of health
services, and that the Chinese authorities have been able to focus
efforts on developing health services in relatively backward
areas.
Correspondence: A. K. Dutt, University of Akron,
Department of Geography, Akron, OH 44325. Location: Princeton
University Library (Gest).
60:40123 Gonzalez
Ugarte, M. Eugenia. Mortality and industrialization in the
Basque country. Vizcaya, 1860-1930. [Mortalidad e
industrializacion en el pais vasco. Vizcaya, 1860-1930.] Boletin de la
Asociacion de Demografia Historica, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1994. 33-53 pp.
Madrid, Spain. In Spa. with sum. in Eng; Fre.
"This paper examines
the decline of mortality in Vizcaya [Spain]...the first Basque province
to be industrialised at the beginning of the demographic transition.
Making use of both the death and municipal population registers we
analyse its diverse trajectory in two differentiated economic
environments: those municipalities which played an important role in
the industrial process and those rural municipalities which remained on
the sidelines." The author compares life expectancies, causes of
death, and sanitary conditions, and discusses some social consequences
of industrialization.
Correspondence: M. E. Gonzalez
Ugarte, Universidad del Pais Vasco, Apartado 1397, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40124 Haybittle,
John L. Should years lost always be equated with life
expectancy? International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 23, No. 3,
Jun 1994. 592-4 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The 'years lost' by a
person dying prematurely from some cause is usually equated with life
expectancy at the age of death derived from a life table for either the
general population or a population in which the cause does not operate.
It is suggested that this procedure may not always be valid....The
calculation of years lost by individuals dying prematurely from
smoking-related deaths [in the United States] is taken as an
example....An alternative hypothesis, whereby smoking advances the age
of death by an amount considerably less than the life expectancy, is
examined."
Correspondence: J. L. Haybittle, MRC Cancer
Trials Office, 5 Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 2BW, England.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40125 Hohn,
Charlotte; Schwarz, Karl. Life expectancy in Germany today
and tomorrow--and the consequences. [Lebenserwartung in
Deutschland heute und morgen--und die Folgen.] In: Erfullt leben--in
Gelassenheit sterben: Geschichte und Gegenwart, edited by Arthur E.
Imhof and Rita Weinknecht. Berliner Historische Studien, Vol. 19, 1994.
183-96 pp. Duncker und Humblot: Berlin, Germany. In Ger.
The
increase in life expectancy in Germany over the past century is
reviewed, and projected changes up to the year 2019 are examined.
Implications of demographic aging for areas such as health care costs,
long-term care, and old-age security are
discussed.
Correspondence: C. Hohn, Bundesinstitut fur
Bevolkerungsforschung, Gustav-Stresemann-Ring, Postfach 5528, 6200
Wiesbaden, Germany. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
60:40126 Huang,
Rongqing. An investigation into the methods of mortality
indexing using the data from China's fourth population census.
Chinese Journal of Population Science, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1993. 193-203 pp.
New York, New York. In Eng.
"The intention of this paper is to
explore the question of how the [1990 China] census data can be used to
determine mortality indices by studying population mortality." The
focus is on the various methods available for analyzing these
data.
Correspondence: R. Huang, Beijing School of
Economics, Population Research Institute, Beijing, China.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40127 Huang,
Runlong. An indirect estimate of the population mortality
in Jiangsu Province and its model. Chinese Journal of Population
Science, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1994. 69-83 pp. New York, New York. In Eng.
"Based on the 10% advance sample data from the Jiangsu portion of
the 1990 [Chinese] census, a simplified 1990 gender-specific life table
is created in this study....Four indirect techniques are used...to
estimate the population mortality in Jiangsu Province in recent
years."
Correspondence: R. Huang, Nanjing College of
Population Management, Department of Population Science, Nanjing,
China. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40128 Imhof,
Arthur E.; Weinknecht, Rita. To live fulfilled--to die
with composure: history and present. Papers from an interdisciplinary
symposium held on November 23-25, 1993, at the Free University of
Berlin. [Erfullt leben--in Gelassenheit sterben: Geschichte und
Gegenwart. Beitrage eines interdisziplinaren Symposiums vom 23.-25.
November 1993 an der Freien Universitat Berlin.] Berliner Historische
Studien, Vol. 19, ISBN 3-428-07872-1. 1994. 507 pp. Duncker und
Humblot: Berlin, Germany. In Ger.
This publication contains papers
from a symposium held in Berlin, Germany, in November 1993 to examine
implications of the large increase in life expectancy over the past
three centuries. The focus is on the theme of living a fulfilled life
and accepting the fact of mortality. Several of the papers deal with
demographic aspects of mortality and life expectancy.
Selected items
will be cited in this or subsequent issues of Population
Index.
Correspondence: Duncker und Humblot GmbH, Postfach
41 03 29, 12113 Berlin, Germany. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40129 Meksi,
Ermelinda; Dalla Zuanna, Gianpiero. Mortality in Albania
(1950-1990). [La mortalite generale en Albanie (1950-1990).]
Population, Vol. 49, No. 3, May-Jun 1994. 607-35 pp. Paris, France. In
Fre. with sum. in Eng; Spa.
The authors analyze mortality in
Albania for the period 1950-1990 using census data. Aspects considered
include age-specific death rates, life expectancy for males and
females, excess mortality by sex, and child and adult mortality. The
impact of political and socioeconomic conditions is
examined.
Correspondence: E. Meksi, University of Tirane,
Tirane, Albania. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40130 Silcocks,
Paul. Estimating confidence limits on a standardised
mortality ratio when the expected number is not error free.
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 48, No. 3, Jun 1994.
313-7 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"The aim was to demonstrate how
the beta distribution may be used to find confidence limits on a
standardised mortality ratio (SMR) when the expected number of events
is subject to random variation and to compare these limits with those
obtained with the standard exact approach used for SMRs and with a
Fieller-based confidence interval."
Correspondence: P.
Silcocks, University of Sheffield Medical School, Department of Public
Health Medicine, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, England.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40131 Sundin,
Jan. From mortality risk to the prospect of life: the
western way to a longer life. [Vom Sterberisiko zur Lebenschance:
der abendlandische Weg zum langeren Leben.] In: Erfullt leben--in
Gelassenheit sterben: Geschichte und Gegenwart, edited by Arthur E.
Imhof and Rita Weinknecht. Berliner Historische Studien, Vol. 19, 1994.
113-28 pp. Duncker und Humblot: Berlin, Germany. In Ger.
Age- and
sex-specific mortality trends in Sweden are analyzed for the period
since 1750, with an emphasis on the years before 1900. Various
explanations for mortality decline and differentials are
discussed.
Correspondence: J. Sundin, Universitetet i
Linkoping, Institut fur Themenforschung, 581 83 Linkoping, Sweden.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40132 Tas, R. F.
J. Decrease in the expectation of life at birth in the
Netherlands during 1993. [Daling van de levensverwachting bij de
geboorte in 1993.] Maandstatistiek van de Bevolking, Vol. 42, No. 6,
Jun 1994. 6-8 pp. Voorburg, Netherlands. In Dut. with sum. in Eng.
"With a few [exceptions] the age-specific mortality quotients based
on observations during 1993 [in the Netherlands] were higher than the
1992-based ones. The increase is strongest in the lower and the higher
ages....It can be shown that the most important contributors to the
decrease of the expectation of life at birth for boys was due to
increased mortality quotients in the age groups 55 1/2-<60 1/2 years or
over. For girls the age groups 65 1/2-<70 1/2 or over are most
important."
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40133 Wilcox,
Allen J.; Skjaerven, Rolv; Irgens, Lorentz M. Harsh social
conditions and perinatal survival: an age-period-cohort analysis of
the World War II occupation of Norway. American Journal of Public
Health, Vol. 84, No. 9, Sep 1994. 1,463-7 pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
"Data from Norwegian vital statistics and the Medical Birth
Registry were used to describe perinatal mortality during World War II
and also a generation later, among babies born to mothers who had
themselves been born during the war." The results suggest that "harsh
conditions in Norway during the occupation increased childhood
mortality. However, perinatal mortality declined during that period.
Likewise, no adverse effect was seen on the survival of babies born to
mothers who had themselves been born during the
war...."
Correspondence: A. J. Wilcox, National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology Branch, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27709. Location: Princeton University
Library (SZ).
60:40134 Bentham,
Graham. Population mixing and sudden infant death syndrome
in England and Wales. International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.
23, No. 3, Jun 1994. 540-4 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
The author
examines "whether there is an association between geographical
variation in the incidence of SIDS and the degree of population mixing
in different areas." The study is based on data for 403 local
authority districts in England and Wales during the period 1979-1983.
"It is concluded that geographical variations in SIDS deaths in England
and Wales are strongly associated with differences in rates of
population mixing as measured by
migration."
Correspondence: G. Bentham, University of East
Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences, Norwich NR4 7TJ, England.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40135 Boisvert,
Mireille; Mayer, Francine M. Infant mortality and
consanguinity in an endogamous population in Quebec. [Mortalite
infantile et consanguinite dans une population endogame du Quebec.]
Population, Vol. 49, No. 3, May-Jun 1994. 685-724 pp. Paris, France. In
Fre. with sum. in Eng; Spa.
"The population registers of the Isle
de Coudres in Quebec [Canada] have been used to reconstitute families
and their ancestors, and to classify them by the parameters needed to
produce a distribution of infant deaths and to compute coefficients of
kinship and consanguinity....Groups consisting, respectively, of
related and unrelated individuals were constructed and matched, taking
into account the different risks associated with infant mortality....In
the 'related' group, infant mortality rates were significantly higher
for females than for males, whereas the opposite holds for the
'unrelated' group. In the 'related' group, the proportion of children
who died during their first week of life was higher (although the
difference was not statistically significant), and first children faced
greater risks of dying during their first year of life. The
masculinity ratio at birth was significantly lower than in the control
group, or in the population as a whole." The period studied is from
1800 to 1939.
Correspondence: M. Boisvert, Universite du
Quebec, Centre pour l'Etude des Interactions Biologiques entre la Sante
et l'Environnement, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40136 Dang, Hui;
Gao, Ersheng; Jin, Peihuan. Summary evaluations of risk
factors related to infant mortality. Chinese Journal of Population
Science, Vol. 5, No. 4, 1993. 303-12 pp. New York, New York. In Eng.
The authors discuss risk factors related to infant mortality. "The
size and magnitude of these risk factors vary across different
countries and regions. In order to more accurately describe the
relationship between risk factors and infant mortality, risk factors
should be quantified, making it possible to estimate the degree of risk
associated with infant deaths. This article introduces some risk
factors and their evaluation method."
Correspondence: H.
Dang, Shanghai Medical University, Health and Statistics Faculty, 138
Yixueyuan Lu, Shanghai 200032, China. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40137 Dorsten,
Linda E. Direct and indirect effects on infant mortality
in a high-fertility U.S. population. Population Research and
Policy Review, Vol. 13, No. 1, Mar 1994. 31-48 pp. Hingham,
Massachusetts/Dordrecht, Netherlands. In Eng.
"This article
examines the direct and indirect effects of social and demographic
measures on [U.S.] infant mortality using data from a church directory
of the Old Order Amish of the Lancaster, PA, Settlement. The sample
includes all infant deaths and a simple random sample of survivors
(total n=2,013). The results reveal that the death of the immediately
prior sibling directly increases the risk of infant death nearly 30%,
net of other factors. Also, the risk of mortality in the first year
increases as birth order increases, particularly at the highest
orders....Further analysis shows that families adapting more rapidly to
external community pressures face a higher risk of infant death than
families living in more stable areas."
This is a revised version of
a paper originally presented at the 1993 Annual Meeting of the
Population Association of America.
Correspondence: L. E.
Dorsten, University of Maryland, Department of Sociology and
Anthropology, Baltimore, MD 21228-5398. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40138 Gao,
Qingxin; Lui, Suichang; Ma, Baojing; Zhang, Weijie. An
analysis of mortality causes of children under five years of age in 10
cities and counties in Henan Province in 1991. Chinese Journal of
Population Science, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1994. 19-24 pp. New York, New York.
In Eng.
"To better understand mortality of children under five
years of age in Henan Province [China] and search for ways to lower
children's mortality, a sample survey on 10 representative cities and
counties was conducted from February to April 1992, under the auspices
and support of the Department of Women and Children under the Ministry
of Health and the Health Bureau of Henan Province. [This article] is
an analysis of the data from the survey."
Correspondence:
Q. Gao, Henan Provincial Hospital of Gynecology and Pediatrics, Henan,
China. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40139 Huffman,
Sandra L.; Martin, Luann. Child nutrition, birth spacing,
and child mortality. In: Human reproductive ecology: interactions
of environment, fertility, and behavior, edited by Kenneth L. Campbell
and James W. Wood. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol.
709, 1994. 236-48 pp. New York Academy of Sciences: New York, New York.
In Eng.
"This paper looks at the effect of nutrition on the two
major childhood killers [in developing countries] diarrhea and acute
respiratory infections--and its impact on child spacing. It also
discusses the causes of malnutrition and the importance of improving
child feeding in order to achieve further declines in child mortality
and morbidity."
Correspondence: S. L. Huffman,
Nurture/Center to Prevent Childhood Malnutrition, Suite 208, 4948 St.
Elmo Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
60:40140 Mazzeo,
Victoria. Infant mortality in the city of Buenos Aires
(1856-1986). [Mortalidad infantil en la ciudad de Buenos Aires
(1856-1986).] Biblioteca Politica Argentina, No. 440, ISBN
950-25-2434-9. 1993. 125 pp. Centro Editor de America Latina: Buenos
Aires, Argentina. In Spa.
This report analyzes trends in infant
mortality in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, from 1856 to 1986.
Chapters are included on data quality, trends in infant mortality,
causes of death, and the relation between socioeconomic conditions and
infant mortality.
Correspondence: Centro Editor de America
Latina, Tucuman 1736, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40141 Miah, M.
Mizanur R. Factors influencing infant/child mortality in
Bangladesh: implication for family planning programs and policies.
International Journal of Sociology of the Family, Vol. 23, No. 2,
Autumn 1993. 21-34 pp. New Delhi, India. In Eng.
"This study
examined a host of socio-economic and demographic factors (including
their interactions) that determine infant/child mortality of married
women at the different parity levels in Bangladesh [using data from] a
multivariate analysis of the 1975-76 Bangladesh Fertility Survey....The
major hypothesis of this research is that the higher the level of
fertility of a married woman, the higher will be her experience of
infant/child mortality. However, a woman's family planning practice may
interact with fertility and affect the total infant/child
deaths...."
Correspondence: M. M. R. Miah, Southern
Illinois University, School of Social Work, Carbondale, IL 62901-4515.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40142
Michielutte, Robert; Moore, Mary L.; Meis, Paul J.; Ernest, J.
M.; Wells, H. Bradley. Race differences in infant
mortality from endogenous causes: a population-based study in North
Carolina. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, Vol. 47, No. 2, 1994.
119-30 pp. Tarrytown, New York/Oxford, England. In Eng.
"This study
examines the associations between race, birth weight, and mortality
from endogenous causes for all singleton births born in 1984-1987 in a
20-county region of North Carolina....Overall, black infants were found
to have approximately twice the mortality risk of white infants. Most
of the excess black mortality risk is explained by the larger
proportion of black infants born at lower birth
weights."
Correspondence: R. Michielutte, Wake Forest
University, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Department of Family and
Community Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40143 Morrow,
Hallie W.; Chavez, Gilberto F.; Giannoni, Peggy P.; Shah, Rugmini
S. Infant mortality and related risk factors among Asian
Americans. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 84, No. 9, Sep
1994. 1,497-500 pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
This study "examines
the prevalence of selected risk factors, the birthweight distribution,
and the infant mortality experience among nine Asian ethnic subgroups
in California between 1982 and 1987." Data are from the California
Birth Cohort file, a computerized record of linked birth and death
certificates. The results show that "a great deal of heterogeneity was
found in risk factors and infant mortality rates among the various
Asian ethnic subgroups. Paradoxically, although Asian ethnic subgroups
had a higher perinatal risk profile, they had more favorable birth
outcomes than did Whites."
Correspondence: G. F. Chavez,
California Department of Health Services, Maternal and Child Health
Branch, 714 P Street, Room 300, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
60:40144 Ndong,
Isaiah; Gloyd, Stephen; Gale, James. An evaluation of
vital registers as sources of data for infant mortality rates in
Cameroon. International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 23, No. 3,
Jun 1994. 536-9 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"This study was
designed to evaluate the accuracy of vital registers as sources of data
for infant mortality rates in Cameroon....A household census of births
and infant deaths that occurred in Buea Subdivision between 1 November
1991 and 31 October 1992 was conducted to determine the proportion that
were registered and the reasons why the remainder were not
registered....[The authors conclude that] vital registers of birth and
death are not an accurate source of data for infant mortality rates in
Cameroon. Motivation for birth and death registration appear to be
dependent on the perceived benefits."
Correspondence: I.
Ndong, University of Washington, Department of Health Services,
Seattle, WA 98195. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
60:40145 Nicoll,
Angus; Timaeus, Ian; Kigadye, Rose-Mary; Walraven, Gijs; Killewo,
Japhet. The impact of HIV-1 infection on mortality in
children under 5 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa: a demographic and
epidemiologic analysis. AIDS, Vol. 8, No. 7, 1994. 995-1,005 pp.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Eng.
The effects of the HIV-1
epidemic on mortality in children under five years of age in eastern,
central, and southern Africa are explored. A life-table method is used
to estimate mortality that allows for the effects of competing causes
of death to be taken into account. Data are from a range of published
and unpublished sources. The results indicate that there will be a
substantial increase in child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa as a
result of HIV-1 infection. "In rural areas with low seroprevalence
other diseases will remain the main cause of mortality. However, in
urban areas families and health services will have to face considerably
increased demands from ill and dying
children."
Correspondence: A. Nicoll, Communicable Disease
Surveillance Centre, Public Health laboratory Services AIDS Centre, 61
Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5DF, England. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40146 Okojie,
Christiana E. E. Some inter-relationships between maternal
education and child survival in Nigeria: evidence from household
surveys and focus group discussions. In: International Population
Conference/Congres International de la Population: Montreal 1993,
Volume 4. 1993. 241-62 pp. International Union for the Scientific Study
of Population [IUSSP]: Liege, Belgium. In Eng.
"This paper examines
some of the pathways through which maternal education influences child
survival using evidence from household survey data and focus group
sessions in some selected communities in Nigeria....The studies suggest
that child mortality is lower among children of educated mothers, [and
that] the lower mortality is a result of greater utilization of modern
healthcare facilities by more educated
mothers."
Correspondence: C. E. E. Okojie, University of
Benin, Department of Economics and Statistics, Benin City, Nigeria.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40147 Palloni,
Alberto; Pinto Aguirre, Guido; Lastiri, Santiago. The
effects of breast-feeding and the pace of childbearing on early
childhood mortality in Mexico. Bulletin of the Pan American Health
Organization, Vol. 28, No. 2, Jun 1994. 93-111 pp. Washington, D.C. In
Eng.
"Using data from Mexico's Demographic and Health Survey, the
authors examine the effects of breast-feeding and the pace of
childbearing on early childhood mortality in a sample of 2,665 children
born between 1982 and 1986. From a family planning perspective, they
seek to assess the impact that changes in childbearing patterns and
associated changes in breast-feeding patterns may have on infant and
childhood mortality....To examine likely interactions between family
planning, breast-feeding, and mortality, an integrated model was
applied that simultaneously considered these and a range of other
variables. The results suggest that the effects of improved birth
spacing and maternal age at delivery associated with family planning
are powerful enough to cause 20-40% reductions in infant mortality.
However, the effects of reduced breast-feeding associated with family
planning are great enough to offset more than 60% of these
benefits."
Correspondence: A. Palloni, University of
Wisconsin, Center for Demography and Ecology, 4412 Social Science
Building, 1180 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1393.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40148 Palloni,
Alberto; Partin, Melissa. Trends and determinants of
black-white differentials in infant mortality in the United States
since 1964. Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs
Working Paper, 50+ ed. No. 23, Jun 1994. 96, [50] pp. University of
Wisconsin, Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs: Madison,
Wisconsin. In Eng.
"This report focuses on three interrelated
issues. First, we describe trends in infant mortality and birth
outcomes in the U.S. during the period 1965-1990, placing special
emphasis on differentials between Blacks and Whites....Second, we model
the determinants of infant mortality and birthweight and use the
estimates of such models to interpret time trends in absolute levels
and in racial differentials....Third, we utilize the results of these
models to explain very recent trends, e.g., those that emerge starting
around 1980 or so, when Black-White differentials in infant mortality
and rates of low birthweight appear to reverse several decades of
continuous contraction."
Correspondence: University of
Wisconsin, Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, 1225
Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40149 Pinnelli,
Antonella; Nobile, Annunziata; Lapinch, Andis. Infant
mortality in developed countries and the republics of the former Soviet
Union: trends and determinants. [La mortalite infantile dans les
pays developpes et les republiques de l'ancienne Union Sovietique:
tendances et facteurs.] Population, Vol. 49, No. 2, Mar-Apr 1994.
369-94 pp. Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng; Spa.
"Following
their successful conquest of infectious disease, lower infant mortality
in developed countries is now mainly due to improved conditions in
childbirth and to a lower death rate for children at risk....A factor
analysis shows strong correlation between infant mortality and
different aspects of economic and health-related development and the
status of women. These indices can be used as a measure of progress in
the republics of the former Soviet Union, in which socio-economic
conditions are much less favourable than in the
West."
Correspondence: A. Pinnelli, Universita degli Studi
di Roma La Sapienza, Dipartimento de Scienze Demografiche, Via
Nomentana 41, 00161 Rome, Italy. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40150 Prager,
Kate. Infant mortality by birthweight and other
characteristics: United States, 1985 birth cohort. Vital and
Health Statistics, Series 20: Data from the National Vital Statistics
System, No. 24, Pub. Order No. DHHS (PHS) 94-1852. ISBN 0-8406-0489-0.
LC 94-10819. Jul 1994. iv, 36 pp. U.S. National Center for Health
Statistics [NCHS]: Hyattsville, Maryland. In Eng.
"U.S. infant
mortality is analyzed for the 1985 birth cohort by birthweight,
mother's age, prenatal care, and other characteristics. The effect of
cohort and period on race-specific infant mortality rates is analyzed.
The report also discusses the history of linked birth and infant death
files in the Public Health Service and provides a detailed description
of the methodology for creating linked files at the National Center for
Health Statistics."
Correspondence: U.S. Government
Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop SSOP,
Washington, D.C. 20402-9328. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
60:40151 Rahman, M.
Muzibur; Kabir, M.; Salam, M. A. The influence of
socio-economic characteristics on subsequent infant and child
mortality. Journal of Family Welfare, Vol. 39, No. 3, Sep 1993.
28-34 pp. Bombay, India. In Eng.
"The results of this study provide
empirical evidence for an association between socio-economic [and]
demographic characteristics of the respondents and survival of the
subsequent birth for the corresponding mortality of the first child.
The mortality of the previous child is observed to be a very important
predictor of neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality for the
subsequent children." Data are for Comilla District, Bangladesh, and
cover the period 1974-1982.
Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
60:40152
Schmertmann, Carl P.; Sawyer, Diana O. Migration
bias in indirect estimates of regional childhood mortality levels.
Center for the Study of Population Working Paper, No. WPS 94-123, Mar
1994. 22, [14] pp. Florida State University, College of Social
Sciences, Center for the Study of Population: Tallahassee, Florida. In
Eng.
This study examines indirect techniques for the estimation of
child mortality. "The authors: (1) investigate the possible magnitude
of migration bias using a multiregional simulation model, (2) propose a
modification to standard methods which should reduce bias in many
circumstances, and (3) apply the modified technique to data from
Brazil's 1980 Census. We find that migration bias can indeed be
significant, and that in the specific case of Sao Paulo state, imported
mortality information may result in overestimates of local mortality
levels of 10-15% when using Brass-style
methods."
Correspondence: Florida State University, Center
for the Study of Population, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4063.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40153 Schroeder,
D. G.; Brown, K. H. Nutritional status as a predictor of
child survival: summarizing the association and quantifying its global
impact. Bulletin of the World Health Organization/Bulletin de
l'Organisation Mondiale de la Sante, Vol. 72, No. 4, 1994. 569-79 pp.
Geneva, Switzerland. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"By pooling the
results from five previously published prospective studies, we have
obtained estimates of the relative risks of mortality among young
children 6-24 months after they had been identified as having
mild-to-moderate or severe malnutrition. These risk estimates, along
with global malnutrition prevalence data, were then used to calculate
the total number of young-childhood deaths 'attributable' to
malnutrition in developing countries. Young children (6-60 months of
age) with mild-to-moderate malnutrition...had 2.2 times the risk of
dying during the follow-up period than their better nourished
counterparts....Severely malnourished young children...had 6.8 times
the risk of dying during the follow-up period than better nourished
children. Each year approximately 2.3 million deaths of young children
in developing countries (41% of the total for this age group) are
associated with malnutrition."
Correspondence: D. G.
Schroeder, Emory University, School of Public Health, Center for
International Health, Atlanta, GA 30329. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40154 Sullivan,
Jeremiah M.; Rutstein, Shea O.; Bicego, George T. Infant
and child mortality. DHS Comparative Studies, No. 15, Jun 1994.
vi, 57 pp. Macro International, Demographic and Health Surveys [DHS]:
Calverton, Maryland. In Eng.
This report presents a set of
childhood mortality statistics for 28 developing countries
participating in Phase I of the DHS program. "Section 1 of this report
describes the methodology used to collect mortality data in DHS surveys
and to calculate mortality rates from the data. Section 2 presents
statistics on the level of mortality for the period immediately
preceding the surveys and on trends in mortality levels. Section 3
presents mortality differentials in terms of the demographic
characteristics of children and mothers while Section 4 presents
differentials in terms of the socioeconomic characteristics of
households. Section 5 summarizes the results of this
analysis."
Correspondence: Macro International, Demographic
and Health Surveys, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, MD
20705. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40155 Tam,
Luis. Rural-to-urban migration in Bolivia and Peru:
association with child mortality, breastfeeding cessation, maternal
care, and contraception. DHS Working Paper, No. 8, Mar 1994. 29
pp. Macro International, Demographic and Health Surveys [DHS]:
Calverton, Maryland. In Eng.
"The goals of the present study were
to: ascertain whether the children of rural-to-urban migrant mothers
have 0-23 month mortality rates similar to those of the offspring of
urban and rural natives in Bolivia and Peru; [and] assess the
association of the mother's migration status with her use of
contraception, prenatal and modern birth delivery care, and the
cessation of breastfeeding during the first 24 months of her child's
life."
Correspondence: Macro International, Demographic and
Health Surveys, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Calverton, MD 20705.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40156 Wang,
Zhenying. Relationship between birth rate and infant
mortality under natural reproduction situations. Chinese Journal
of Population Science, Vol. 5, No. 4, 1993. 313-22 pp. New York, New
York. In Eng.
The author investigates the relationship between
infant mortality and the birth rate. "For this research, a number of
countries with representative features are selected from different
parts of the world. The study focuses on mortality and birth in these
countries in the 25 year span between 1945 and 1970. A major reason
for selecting these countries is that they are in a natural
reproduction situation...[which] refers to a reproductive condition
without any government intervention."
Correspondence: Z.
Wang, People's University of China, Institute of Theoretical Research
on Population, 39 Haidian Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40157 Himes,
Christine L.; Preston, Samuel H.; Condran, Gretchen A. A
relational model of mortality at older ages in low mortality
countries. Population Studies, Vol. 48, No. 2, Jul 1994. 269-91
pp. London, England. In Eng.
"This paper presents a relational
model of age-specific death rates at ages 45-99. It is based upon
death rates calculated for single years of age and five-year periods
from 1950 to 1985 in 16 low-mortality countries....[Results suggest]
that regional model life tables are losing utility as a tool for the
study of old-age mortality in low-mortality countries. We demonstrate
how the relational model can be used graphically to identify national
idiosyncracies in old-age mortality. In addition, we show that data
that failed our earlier quality check typically begin to exhibit an
irregular pattern of deviations from the standard around the ages at
which the data deteriorate."
Correspondence: C. L. Himes,
Pennsylvania State University, Population Research Institute, 601
Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802-6411. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40158 Mertens,
Walter. Health and mortality trends among elderly
populations: determinants and implications. IUSSP Policy and
Research Paper, No. 3, ISBN 2-87108-034-8. 1994. 31 pp. International
Union for the Scientific Study of Population [IUSSP]: Liege, Belgium.
In Eng.
This monograph is based on papers presented at a conference
on health and mortality among elderly populations, organized by the
IUSSP Committee on Adult Mortality in collaboration with a number of
other organizations. It "starts with a short overview of the
remarkable decline in mortality at the older ages which recently
occurred in the low mortality countries. It then proceeds to discuss
three issues surrounding this unexpected trend which have important
policy implications: 1) adequacy of data, concepts and methodologies
to fully understand this trend; 2) the future course of mortality for
the elderly; and 3) the prospects for the quality of life of the
elderly. The monograph ends with an effort to distil a series of
policy conclusions."
Correspondence: International Union
for the Scientific Study of Population, 34 rue des Augustins, 4000
Liege, Belgium. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40159 Schott,
Jurgen; Wiesner, Gerd; Casper, Waldtraut; Bergmann, Karl E.
Mortality trends among the elderly in East and West Germany during
the past decades. [Entwicklung der Mortalitat des alten Menschen
in Ost -und Westdeutschland in den zuruckliegenden Jahrzehnten.] In:
Erfullt leben--in Gelassenheit sterben: Geschichte und Gegenwart,
edited by Arthur E. Imhof and Rita Weinknecht. Berliner Historische
Studien, Vol. 19, 1994. 171-82 pp. Duncker und Humblot: Berlin,
Germany. In Ger.
This article focuses on the extent to which
increases in life expectancy in East and West Germany have been
influenced by changes in the mortality of older people, particularly
those aged 60-75 and over 75. The data are for the period
1950-1987.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40160 Tedebrand,
Lars-Goran. Mortality of persons over age 80, Sweden
1750-1980. [Von der Sterblichkeit der uber 80jahrigen, Schweden
1750-1980.] In: Erfullt leben--in Gelassenheit sterben: Geschichte und
Gegenwart, edited by Arthur E. Imhof and Rita Weinknecht. Berliner
Historische Studien, Vol. 19, 1994. 129-43 pp. Duncker und Humblot:
Berlin, Germany. In Ger.
Trends in the mortality and life
expectancy of men and women aged 80 and over are analyzed for Sweden
for the period 1750-1980. Comparisons are also made with other age
groups. The data are from official statistics and the Demographic
Database at Umea University.
Correspondence: L.-G.
Tedebrand, Umea University, Center for Population Studies, 901 87 Umea,
Sweden. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40161 Uruguay.
Direccion General de Estadistica y Censos (Montevideo, Uruguay); United
Nations. Centro Latinoamericano de Demografia [CELADE] (Santiago,
Chile). Uruguay: complete life tables by sex and age,
1984-1986. [Uruguay: tablas completas de mortalidad por sexo y
edad, 1984-1986.] CELADE Serie OI, No. 56, Pub. Order No. LC/DEM/G.103.
1991. 22 pp. Montevideo, Uruguay. In Spa. with sum. in Eng.
Complete life tables are presented by age and sex for Uruguay for
the years 1984-1986. Data from the 1985 census and other official
sources are used. The results indicate that life expectancy is 68.26
years for males and 75.25 years for
females.
Correspondence: Direccion General de Estadistica y
Censos, Cuareim 2052, Montevideo, Uruguay. Location: Institut
National d'Etudes Demographiques, Paris, France.
60:40162 Vassin,
Sergei. Epidemiological transition of mortality curves in
terms of the Brass logit system. European Journal of
Population/Revue Europeenne de Demographie, Vol. 10, No. 1, 1994. 43-68
pp. Hingham, Massachusetts/Dordrecht, Netherlands. In Eng. with sum. in
Fre.
"The purpose of this paper is to examine the long-term trends
of life tables in developed countries according to two parameters of
the Brass system in order to find the range of variation, consistent
with historical life tables (or, in other words, to define 'a field of
epidemiological transition')." The author finds that "1) In the past,
the mortality curves had U- and J-shapes, the latter being connected
with the impact of demographic crises....2) The elimination of the
crisis component at the first stage of the transition resulted in the
transformation of the mortality curves towards the U-shape....3) At the
second stage social control is established over premature mortality. As
a result, life expectancy grows, and the shape of the curves moves
towards the J-shape....4) In the past the male and female life tables
usually did not differ from each other as regards the value of the
Brass model parameters. However, in the last 30-40 years considerable
sexual differences emerged both in the level and in the shape of the
mortality curves."
Correspondence: S. Vassin, Russian
Academy of Sciences, Institute for Social Forecasting, Centre of
Demography and Human Ecology, Krasikova 32, 117418 Moscow, Russia.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40163 Brandt, L.
P. A.; Kirk, N. U.; Jensen, O. C.; Hansen, H. L. Mortality
among Danish merchant seamen from 1970 to 1985. American Journal
of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 25, No. 6, 1994. 867-76 pp. New York, New
York. In Eng.
"A retrospective cohort study was performed to
analyze the mortality patterns of Danish merchant seamen in the period
1970-1985. The population census in 1970 in Denmark was the source of
information on individual occupation, age, and marital status. All men
aged 20-64 years and economically active in 1970 were included.
Computerized linkage with the Danish Mortality Register gave
information about the deceased persons' date and cause of death....This
study confirms earlier findings of high mortality among seafarers.
Negative selection into the occupation, occupational environmental
factors, and lack of health and safety promotion programs and education
could be causes of the high mortality."
Correspondence: L.
P. A. Brandt, Institute of Maritime Medicine, Niels Bohr Vej 9, 6700
Esbjerg, Denmark. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
60:40164 Carpenter,
Lucy; Higgins, Craig; Douglas, Allison; Fraser, Patricia; Beral,
Valerie; Smith, Peter. Combined analysis of mortality in
three United Kingdom nuclear industry workforces, 1946-1988.
Radiation Research, Vol. 138, No. 2, 1994. 224-38 pp. Charlottesville,
Virginia. In Eng.
"Mortality during 1946-1988 has been analyzed in
75,006 employees of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, the
Atomic Weapons Establishment and the Sellafield plant of British
Nuclear Fuels. All-cause mortality was 19% lower than national rates
among workers monitored for external radiation exposure and 18% lower
among nonmonitored workers. Cancer mortality was also lower than
national rates...."
Correspondence: L. Carpenter,
University of Oxford, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Gibson Building, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford OX2 6HE, England.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40165 Dahl,
Espen; Kjaersgaard, Pal. Trends in socioeconomic mortality
differentials in post-war Norway: evidence and interpretations.
Sociology of Health and Illness, Vol. 15, No. 5, Nov 1993. 587-611 pp.
Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The aim of the study was to describe
changes in socioeconomic mortality differentials among adults in
post-war Norway and to examine some selected interpretations. Three
separate data sets were obtained. In each set, census information on
occupational class was linked to subsequent mortality during three
five-year periods, 1960-65, 1970-75 and 1980-85. The analysis showed a
general decline in mortality but an increase in the socioeconomic
mortality differentials among men...."
Correspondence: E.
Dahl, Institute for Applied Social Science, P.O. Box 2947, Toyen, 0608
Oslo, Norway. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40166 Davis,
Ronald M. Slowing the march of the Marlboro man.
British Medical Journal, Vol. 309, No. 6959, Oct 8, 1994. 889-90 pp.
London, England. In Eng.
After a brief review of global trends in
cigarette smoking, mortality related to it, and cigarette advertising,
the author outlines anti-smoking action taken in the United States over
the past 18 months. He finds that "despite this feast of antitobacco
proposals, pronouncements, and publicity the proverbial cup is still
only half full. Most of the recent proposals are not yet final, and
legal challenges to government actions are
expected."
Correspondence: R. M. Davis, Michigan Department
of Public Health, Lansing, MI 48909. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
60:40167 Dinkel,
Reiner H. Mortality trends of birth cohorts in both German
states: results and possible explanations. [Die
Sterblichkeitsentwicklung der Geburtsjahrgange in den beiden deutschen
Staaten: Ergebnisse und mogliche Erklarungshypothesen.] In: Erfullt
leben--in Gelassenheit sterben: Geschichte und Gegenwart, edited by
Arthur E. Imhof and Rita Weinknecht. Berliner Historische Studien, Vol.
19, 1994. 155-70 pp. Duncker und Humblot: Berlin, Germany. In Ger.
Life tables for cohorts born after 1900 are used to compare
mortality trends in East and West Germany. An attempt is made to
explain the observed differences by examining factors such as medical
care, environmental pollution, behavioral and dietary patterns, and
migration.
Correspondence: R. H. Dinkel, Winzererstrasse
49, 8000 Munich 40, Germany. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
60:40168 Doll,
Richard; Peto, Richard; Hall, Emma; Wheatley, Keith; Gray,
Richard. Mortality in relation to consumption of alcohol:
13 years' observations on male British doctors. British Medical
Journal, Vol. 309, No. 6959, Oct 8, 1994. 911-8 pp. London, England. In
Eng.
"Information about use of alcohol and of tobacco was obtained
in 1978 from a group of male British doctors born between 1900 and
1930. Their deaths during 1978-91 were then monitored and related to
their replies in 1978." Results indicate that "the consumption of
alcohol appeared to reduce the risk of ischaemic heart disease, largely
irrespective of amount....Progressively greater levels of consumption
are associated with progressively higher all cause
mortality."
Correspondence: R. Doll, Imperial Cancer
Research Fund Cancer Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical
Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford 0X2 6HE, England.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
60:40169 Doll,
Richard; Peto, Richard; Wheatley, Keith; Gray, Richard; Sutherland,
Isabelle. Mortality in relation to smoking: 40 years'
observations on male British doctors. British Medical Journal,
Vol. 309, No. 6959, Oct 8, 1994. 901-11 pp. London, England. In Eng.
This study assesses mortality associated with long-term tobacco
use. About 35,000 male British doctors replied to a questionnaire in
1951 and have been followed up to 1991. Results indicate that "excess
mortality associated with smoking was about twice as extreme during the
second half of the study as it had been during the first half....Those
who stopped smoking before middle age subsequently avoided almost all
of the excess risk that they would otherwise have suffered, but even
those who stopped smoking in middle age were subsequently at
substantially less risk than those who continued to
smoke."
Correspondence: R. Doll, Imperial Cancer Research
Fund Cancer Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine,
Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford 0X2 6HE, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SZ).
60:40170 Eggerickx,
Thierry; Tabutin, Dominique. Higher mortality rates among
Belgian girls in 1890: a regional approach. [La surmortalite des
filles en Belgique vers 1890: une approche regionale.] Population,
Vol. 49, No. 3, May-Jun 1994. 657-83 pp. Paris, France. In Fre. with
sum. in Eng; Spa.
"This paper is designed to show the variations
that occurred in mortality rates of 41 Belgian communes around 1890,
taking account of their size and dominant type of production....Excess
mortality of females between the ages of one and five years was
recorded only in rural areas, whereas the excess was general between
the ages of 5 and 20 years. However, the difference between the
mortality of the sexes was smaller in an industrial and urban
environment, where the mortality of males was particularly high. In
the Walloon part of the country, housing and women's economic activity
are closely linked with the excess mortality of girls....It is clear
that the mortality rates of girls are higher than those of boys,
irrespective of their environment, though variations exist which depend
on the cultural background, the system of production, and the resulting
social relations between the sexes."
Correspondence: T.
Eggerickx, Universite Catholique de Louvain, 1 place Montesquieu, B.P.
17, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40171 Klasen,
Stephan. "Missing women" reconsidered. World
Development, Vol. 22, No. 7, Jul 1994. 1,061-71 pp. Tarrytown, New
York/Oxford, England. In Eng.
"One way to assess the magnitude of
women's survival disadvantage in parts of the developing world is to
estimate the number of 'missing women' that died as a result of excess
female mortality. Sen and Coale provided two such estimates of
'missing women.' This paper compares and evaluates these two estimates
and suggests modifications to arrive at a closer approximation of the
size of women's survival disadvantage. The number and regional
distribution of 'missing women' implied by these modified calculations
is supported by other available demographic and economic data on gender
discrimination."
Correspondence: S. Klasen, Harvard
University, 9 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Location:
Princeton University Library (PF).
60:40172 Koskinen,
Seppo; Martelin, Tuija. Why are mortality differentials
among women smaller than among men? An analysis of Finnish data.
[Porquoi les femmes sont-elles moins inegales que les hommes devant la
mort? Une analyse de donnees finlandaises.] Population, Vol. 49, No.
2, Mar-Apr 1994. 395-413 pp. Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng;
Spa.
"Socio-economic differentials in mortality are greater for
women than for men. We investigate the extent to which this assertion
depends on (1) the type of indices used to measure socio-economic
status; (2) other socio-demographic variables that hide inequalities
among women, whilst stressing those for men; and (3) differences in the
structure of cause-specific mortality. The analysis is based on a
comparison of death certificates for the period 1981-1985 and
individual census schedules drawn from the Census of Finland of
1980."
Correspondence: S. Koskinen, University of Helsinki,
Department of Sociology, P.O. Box 46, Hameentie 68B, 00014 Helsinki,
Finland. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40173 Peto,
Richard. Smoking and death: the past 40 years and the
next 40. British Medical Journal, Vol. 309, No. 6959, Oct 8, 1994.
937-9 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The author reviews past research
on the impact of smoking on mortality, with a focus on deaths due to
lung cancer. He finds that "the old statement, based partly on the
first 20 years of [a] study of British doctors, that 'at least a
quarter' of all regular cigarette smokers would be killed by the habit
now needs revision. In fact, the proportion is about one half...." The
period covered is from 1947 to the present. The geographical focus is
on the United Kingdom and the United
States.
Correspondence: R. Peto, Imperial Cancer Research
Fund Cancer Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine,
Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford 0X2 6HE, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SZ).
60:40174 Valkonen,
Tapani. Socio-economic mortality differences in
Europe. In: Population and family in the Low Countries 1993: late
fertility and other current issues, edited by Gijs Beets et al.
NIDI/CBGS Publication, No. 30, 1994. 127-50 pp. Swets and Zeitlinger:
Berwyn, Pennsylvania/Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Eng.
"The article
reviews current knowledge about the extent of socio-economic
differences [in mortality] in Europe, as well as trends in these
differences. Detailed data, including life expectancies at birth, are
presented for Finland, the country for which the data are most
complete. In all countries for which data are available, mortality is
higher in the lower socio-economic classes. The differences are
generally greater among males than among females. The extent of
socio-economic differences in mortality varies between
countries....Socio-economic mortality differences have increased in
most countries for which data are available. The explanations suggested
for socio-economic mortality differences are
discussed."
Correspondence: T. Valkonen, University of
Helsinki, Department of Sociology, P.O. Box 46, 00014 Helsinki,
Finland. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40175 Vartiainen,
Erkki; Puska, Pekka; Pekkanen, Juha; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Lonnqvist,
Jouko; Ehnholm, Christian. Serum cholesterol concentration
and mortality from accidents, suicide, and other violent causes.
British Medical Journal, Vol. 309, No. 6952, Aug 13, 1994. 445-7 pp.
London, England. In Eng.
The association between lower levels of
cholesterol and mortality from accidents, suicides, and other violent
deaths is explored using Finnish data. The data concern two randomly
chosen independent cohorts of 10,898 men and 11,534 women born between
1913 and 1947. The results showed that "the risk of accidents,
suicides, and other violent deaths was not related to serum cholesterol
concentration, whereas such deaths were more prevalent in smokers and
alcohol drinkers."
Correspondence: E. Vartiainen, National
Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
60:40176 Wister,
Andrew V.; Gee, Ellen M. Age at death due to ischemic
heart disease: gender differences. Social Biology, Vol. 41, No.
1-2, Spring-Summer 1994. 110-26 pp. Port Angeles, Washington. In Eng.
"This paper investigates gender differences in the timing of
ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality among white Americans. Three
age-at-death groupings are examined, using a model incorporating three
types of independent variables: lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and
biology/heredity. Logistic regression techniques are used to analyze
National Mortality Followback Survey data. Three hypotheses drawn from
the literature are tested: (1) that IHD mortality risks will vary by
gender and across the life course; (2) that the independent variables
will exert a lower mortality risk for women than for men at all ages of
death; and (3) that differential risks by gender will be larger for
younger age-at-death groups. Findings support the first and third
hypotheses."
Correspondence: A. V. Wister, Simon Fraser
University at Harbour Centre, Gerontology Program, Vancouver, British
Columbia V6B 5K3, Canada. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
60:40177
Anandalakshmy, P. N.; Talwar, P. P.; Buckshee, K.; Hingorani,
V. Demographic, socio-economic and medical factors
affecting maternal mortality--an Indian experience. Journal of
Family Welfare, Vol. 39, No. 3, Sep 1993. 1-4 pp. Bombay, India. In
Eng.
"In this paper an attempt has been made to examine the factors
which affect maternal mortality [in India] through a case control
investigation. Further, the relative importance of each of these
factors has been studied by determining their relative risk using odds
ratio....The data for the study [are from a]...sample comprised of 252
cases (maternal deaths) which occurred during 1983-1985 at the
Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi...."
Correspondence: P. N.
Anandalakshmy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of
Statistics and Demography, New Delhi 110 029, India. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40178 Bah,
Sulaiman M. Estimation of cause of death structure in
Africa and contemporary theories of mortality. Population Studies
Program Demographic Working Paper, No. DWP/001/94, Apr 1994. 27 pp.
University of Zimbabwe, Department of Sociology, Population Studies
Program: Harare, Zimbabwe. In Eng.
"This paper is a critical
assessment of techniques used for the estimation of cause of death
structure in Africa in the light of contemporary theories of
mortality." The author's main contention is that methods based on the
mortality experience of Western countries are inappropriate to Africa.
"This argument is supported in the paper through a comparison of
observed estimates of cause of death structure for some African
populations with indirect estimates. It is proposed that a better
approach is to use a residual method whereby one proceeds from nearly
true estimates of cause of death rates to obtain estimates for unknown
causes via the known general mortality."
Correspondence:
University of Zimbabwe, Department of Sociology, Population Studies
Program, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40179 De Stefani,
Eduardo; Fierro, Luis; Barrios, Enrique; Ranco, Alvaro.
Cancer mortality trends in Uruguay 1953-1991. International
Journal of Cancer, Vol. 56, No. 5, 1994. 634-9 pp. New York, New York.
In Eng.
Cancer mortality trends in Uruguay are analyzed over the
period 1953-1991 using official data. The results indicate that "among
males, the principal increase was observed for lung cancer, followed by
prostatic cancer. The rates were mainly stable in colon cancer and
leukaemias, whereas gastric cancer showed a marked decline. Also, a
recent decline was seen for oesophageal cancer. In females a steady
decline in mortality was observed for all sites combined. Major
decreases were seen for oesophageal, gastric, cervical and total
uterine cancers. The only cancers showing significant increases were
breast cancer, and lung cancer for the most recent
period."
Correspondence: E. De Stefani, Registro Nacional
de Cancer, Instituto Nacional de Oncologia, 8 de Octubre 3265,
Montevideo, Uruguay. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
60:40180 Echenberg,
Myron. History and collective amnesia: the flu epidemic
of 1918 in Senegal. [L'histoire et l'oubli collectif: l'epidemie
de grippe de 1918 au Senegal.] In: Population, reproduction, societes:
perspectives et enjeux de demographie sociale, edited by Dennis D.
Cordell et al. 1993. 283-95 pp. Montreal, Canada. In Fre.
The
reasons why neither available French colonial sources nor collective
memory provide any evidence of the extensive mortality due to the 1918
flu epidemic that occurred in Senegal are explored. The author
concludes that both local authorities and the general public were more
concerned with the concurrent plague as a threat to human life.
Consequently, the real threat posed by the flu epidemic was largely
ignored.
Correspondence: M. Echenberg, McGill University,
Department of History, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K6, Canada.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40181 Garenne,
Michel. Sex differences in measles mortality: a world
review. International Journal of Epidemiology, No. 3, Jun 1994.
632-42 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"Sex differences in measles
mortality are investigated using all national data on causes of death
published by WHO since 1950. An index of excess mortality is used: the
geometric mean of the female sex ratios of age-specific deaths rates
from measles, from age 0 to 44 years....When pooled together, the
results show an excess of female mortality from birth until age 50
years....Emphasis lies on the statistical power to prove that sex
differences in measles mortality do exist, on the critical analysis of
a case study in England and Wales, on the comparison with the overall
pattern of sex differences and on available data on sex differences in
incidence."
Correspondence: M. Garenne, Harvard University,
School of Public Health, Department of Population and International
Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40182 Gauvreau,
Danielle. To give birth and to die from it: maternal
mortality in Quebec before 1960. [Donner la vie et en mourir: la
mortalite des femmes en couches au Quebec avant 1960.] In: Population,
reproduction, societes: perspectives et enjeux de demographie sociale,
edited by Dennis D. Cordell et al. 1993. 235-56 pp. Montreal, Canada.
In Fre.
The development of medical practices and procedures
designed to reduce maternal mortality is first described. The author
then presents results from a survey on maternal mortality in the
province of Quebec before 1960. The data are from the region of
Saguenay during the years 1838 to 1960 and are from the SOREP database.
A rapid improvement in mortality from this cause around 1940 is
noted.
Correspondence: D. Gauvreau, Concordia University,
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 1455 de Maisonneuve West,
Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40183 Hisnanick,
John J. Comparative analysis of violent deaths in American
Indians and Alaska natives. Social Biology, Vol. 41, No. 1-2,
Spring-Summer 1994. 96-109 pp. Port Angeles, Washington. In Eng.
"Accidents, injuries, and outcomes from adverse effects have been
identified as the second leading cause of death for American Indians
and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). However, no studies have been done which
analyze violent deaths (homicides, suicides, and other accidents) for
this population with a focus on time trends. For this study, overall
and gender-specific mortality rates due to violent deaths were computed
for 1973-88. The results indicate that overall and gender-specific
mortality rates for violent deaths in AI/AN have been decreasing on
average per year....Similarly, age-adjusted rates have been declining,
and at faster rates than those of the U.S. general
population....However, the male-female ratio for homicides and other
accidents has remained unchanged, and the ratio for suicide has been
increasing. While the gap between age-adjusted rates [has] been
narrowing, the age-adjusted rates of AI/AN have remained consistently
above those of the U.S. general
population."
Correspondence: J. J. Hisnanick, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, Biometrics Division (008C12),
Washington, D.C. 20420. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
60:40184 Hogg,
Robert S.; Schechter, Martin T.; Montaner, Julio S. G.; Goldstone,
Irene; Craib, Kevin; O'Shaughnessy, Michael V. Impact of
HIV infection and AIDS on death rates in British Columbia and
Canada. Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol. 150, No. 5,
1994. 711-7 pp. Ottawa, Canada. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
The
impact of HIV infections and AIDS on death rates in British Columbia
and Canada as a whole is assessed using official data for the period
1987-1991. The authors conclude that "from 1987 to 1991 the rate of
death from HIV infection and AIDS in British Columbia was higher than
the national average. In Vancouver HIV infection and AIDS have become
the leading causes of premature death in men, exceeding heart disease,
malignant neoplasms and accidents."
Correspondence: R. S.
Hogg, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Pauls
Hospital, 1081 Burrad Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1Y6,
Canada. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40185 Lester,
David. Patterns of suicide and homicide in America.
ISBN 1-56072-148-0. LC 93-20946. 1993. 104 pp. Nova Science Publishers:
Commack, New York. In Eng.
"The present book presents an
examination of the variation in the suicide rate of the continental
states of the U.S.A. It uses the theory of suicide proposed by
Durkheim (1897) to explain societal suicide rates and follows him in
applying it to regions within a nation." Comparisons are made with
homicide rates. The method of data analysis employed is factor
analysis.
Correspondence: Nova Science Publishers, 6080
Jericho Turnpike, Suite 207, Commack, NY 11725. Location: New
York Public Library, New York, NY.
60:40186 Li, Guohua;
Smith, Gordon S.; Baker, Susan P. Drinking behavior in
relation to cause of death among U.S. adults. American Journal of
Public Health, Vol. 84, No. 9, Sep 1994. 1,402-6 pp. Washington, D.C.
In Eng.
"This study examines drinking behavior in a nationally
representative sample of U.S. adult decedents aged 25 through 64 years
and its association with cause of death." Data are from the 1986
National Mortality Followback Survey. The results indicate that "daily
drinking, binge drinking, and heavier drinking were each associated
with an increased likelihood of injury as the underlying cause of
death. Persons who were young, male, Native American, or divorced or
separated were more likely to drink frequently and
heavily."
Correspondence: G. Li, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Hygiene and Public Health, Injury Prevention Center, 624
North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
60:40187 McCormick,
Anna. The impact of human immunodeficiency virus on the
population of England and Wales. Population Trends, No. 76, Summer
1994. 40-5 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"This article considers the
effect of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on mortality and on
the population structure in England and Wales and discusses the likely
effects in the future. The sources of data used for making estimates
of the number of HIV-infected people, the number of AIDS cases, and of
people who have died as a result of their infection are
described...."
Correspondence: A. McCormick, Office of
Population Censuses and Surveys, Health Statistics, St. Catherine's
House, 10 Kingsway, London WC2B 6JP, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40188 Mesle,
France; Shkolnikov, Vladimir; Vallin, Jacques. Rapid
increase in mortality from violent causes in Russia. [Brusque
montee des morts violentes en Russie.] Population, Vol. 49, No. 3,
May-Jun 1994. 780-90 pp. Paris, France. In Fre.
Recent trends in
life expectancy in Russia are reviewed. The authors deduce that the
recent decline in life expectancy, particularly among men, is
associated with an increase in violent
deaths.
Correspondence: F. Mesle, Institut National
d'Etudes Demographiques, 27 rue du Commandeur, 75675 Paris Cedex 14,
France. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40189 Meyer,
Robert E.; Buescher, Paul A. Maternal mortality related to
induced abortion in North Carolina: a historical study. Family
Planning Perspectives, Vol. 26, No. 4, Jul-Aug 1994. 179-80, 191 pp.
New York, New York. In Eng.
"This study examines the impact of
improved access to safe abortion on maternal mortality in North
Carolina during the past 30 years." Results indicate that "during the
period 1973-1977, when legal abortion first became available, the
maternal mortality ratio (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) for
deaths related to induced abortion was almost 85% lower than the ratio
during the previous five-year period. The decrease in abortion-related
mortality had a substantial impact on the overall maternal mortality
ratio during this period, accounting for about 46% of the total decline
in maternal deaths. After 1977, the maternal mortality ratio for
induced abortion declined to less than one death per 100,000 live
births, while the mortality ratio for all other obstetric causes
leveled off at about 10 deaths per 100,000 live
births."
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40190 Miles-Doan,
Rebecca; Kelly, Susan. Inequalities in health care and
excess mortality due to accidents in rural areas: the case of
pedestrian injuries in Florida. Center for the Study of Population
Working Paper, No. WPS 94-119, [1994]. 21, [3] pp. Florida State
University, College of Social Sciences, Center for the Study of
Population: Tallahassee, Florida. In Eng.
"This article
investigates the extent to which the inequitable distribution of health
care resources accounts for the excess mortality due to accidents in
rural areas observed in previous studies." The data concern
Florida.
Correspondence: Florida State University, Center
for the Study of Population, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4063.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40191 Molnar,
Laszlo D. Regional frequency of lung cancer and
COLD-mortality. [A tudorak-es a KALB-mortalitas teruleti
gyakorisaga.] Statisztikai Szemle, Vol. 72, No. 7, Jul 1994. 577-83 pp.
Budapest, Hungary. In Hun. with sum. in Eng; Rus.
"The study
analyses regional differences of lung cancer and chronic obstructive
lung disease [COLD] mortality in 61 Hungarian towns between 1980 and
1989. The result of regional clustering with [the] Monte-Carlo method
shows that regional distribution of lung cancer and chronic obstructive
lung disease mortality is not random. Whereas the mortality rates by
age group and sex hardly show correlation with air pollution data
between 1980 and 1989, they are much higher in more industrialised
areas than elsewhere."
Correspondence: L. D. Molnar, Osz
Szabo J. u. 52, 1204 Budapest, Hungary. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40192 Murray, C.
J. L.; Lopez, A. D. Global and regional cause-of-death
patterns in 1990. Bulletin of the World Health
Organization/Bulletin de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Sante, Vol. 72,
No. 3, 1994. 447-80 pp. Geneva, Switzerland. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
A series of tables is presented that contain estimated deaths by
age, sex, and cause for 1990 for the various regions of the world. Of
the 50 or so million deaths occurring each year, about 39 million are
in developing countries, and for the greater number of these deaths,
adequate vital statistics data are lacking. The indirect techniques
used for the estimates provided here are
described.
Correspondence: C. J. L. Murray, Harvard
University, School of Public Health, Center for Population and
Development Studies, 9 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40193 Noble,
Barbara. Deaths associated with the use of alcohol, drugs,
and volatile substances. Population Trends, No. 76, Summer 1994.
7-16 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The author examines causes of
death linked to the misuse of alcohol, drugs, and volatile substance
abuse (VSA) in Great Britain. "Deaths [caused] by misuse of alcohol,
drugs, and VSA are not always easily identified on death certificates
or in published data....However, there is no doubt that drug and
alcohol-related deaths have both increased in recent years,
particularly among young people. Government health promotion aimed at
discouraging drinking above safe levels, and at preventing young people
from experimenting with drugs and volatile substances, continues to be
important."
Correspondence: B. Noble, Office of Population
Censuses and Surveys, Health Statistics, St. Catherine's House, 10
Kingsway, London WC2B 6JP, England. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40194 Riggs, Jack
E. The cohort mortality perspective: the emperor's new
clothes of epidemiology, an illustration using cancer mortality.
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, Vol. 19, No. 2, 1994. 202-10
pp. San Diego, California. In Eng.
The author challenges the widely
held assumption that increasing mortality in developed countries is
attributable to exposure to increasing levels of carcinogenic
influences. "Age-specific cancer mortality rates in the United States
from 1962 to 1988 were portrayed in both cross-sectional and cohort
manners. Both representations are consistent with the Strehler-Mildvan
modification of the Gompertz relationship between aging and mortality.
These observations suggest that environmental cohort effects are not
responsible for rising cancer mortality. The cohort mortality
perspective in epidemiology is inherently biased due to the effects of
competing mortality."
Correspondence: J. E. Riggs, West
Virginia University, School of Medicine, Departments of Neurology,
Medicine, and Community Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506-9180.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40195 Stewart, A.
W.; Kuulasmaa, K.; Beaglehole, R. Ecological analysis of
the association between mortality and major risk factors of
cardiovascular disease. International Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol. 23, No. 3, Jun 1994. 505-16 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The
WHO Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in
Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) Project has been established to measure
trends in cardiovascular mortality and coronary heart disease and
cerebrovascular disease morbidity and to assess the extent to which
these trends are related to changes in known risk factors at the same
time in defined communities in different countries. This
cross-sectional study is based on data from the early part of the
Project and assesses the association between mortality and population
risk factor levels....Thirty-five populations of men and women aged
35-64 years are used in correlation analyses between four mortality
measures (deaths from all causes, cardiovascular diseases, ischaemic
heart disease and stroke) and three cardiovascular risk factors
(regular cigarette smoking, blood pressure and total
cholesterol)....This analysis has shown that accepted cardiovascular
mortality risk factors measured cross-sectionally at the population
level do not reflect well the variation in mortality between
populations."
Correspondence: A. W. Stewart, University of
Auckland, Department of Community Health, Private Bag 92019, Auckland,
New Zealand. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40196 United
States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (Atlanta,
Georgia). Firearm-related years of potential life lost
before age 65 years--United States, 1980-1991. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 43, No. 33, Aug 26, 1994. 609-11 pp.
Atlanta, Georgia. In Eng.
Analysis of official data on
firearm-related injuries in the United States is presented for the
period 1980-1991. "In 1991, deaths from suicide and homicide combined
were the third leading cause of years of potential life lost before age
65...in the United States. Firearms were used in 60.1% of all suicides,
in 67.8% of all homicides, and in less than 2.0% of unintentional
injury deaths. Firearm-related death rates increased during the late
1980s, particularly among adolescents and young
adults."
Correspondence: U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Mailstop C-08, Atlanta, GA 30333. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40197 Vallenas,
Guillermo. Maternal mortality in Peru. [La mortalidad
materna en el Peru.] Revista Peruana de Poblacion, No. 3, 1993. 33-56
pp. Lima, Peru. In Spa. with sum. in Eng.
The author investigates
maternal mortality in Peru using data from the second Demographic and
Family Health Survey (ENDES-II) carried out in 1991-1992. "The
inclusion of a module about adult mortality in the questionnaire of the
ENDES II [made it possible] to estimate maternal mortality using a set
of questions about the sisters of the women interviewed. The study
highlights the inverse relation between levels of maternal mortality
and education, [especially] the relevance of formal education for
decreasing the incidence of maternal
mortality."
Correspondence: G. Vallenas, Universidad
Nacional Mayor de San Marcos de Lima, Avenida Republica de Chile 295,
Oficina 506, Casilla 454, Lima, Peru. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
60:40198 Vlajinac,
Hristina D.; Adanja, Benko J.; Jarebinski, Mirjana S.; Sipetic, Sandra
B. Cardiovascular disease mortality in Belgrade: trends
from 1975-89. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol.
48, No. 3, Jun 1994. 254-7 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The authors
analyze cardiovascular disease mortality in Belgrade, Yugoslavia,
between 1975 and 1989, using national mortality data for the population
aged 30-60 years. "Between 1975 and 1989...the increase in
cardiovascular disease mortality was 7%...for men and 4% for
women....Cardiovascular mortality trends in Belgrade are similar to
those in most eastern European countries."
Correspondence:
H. D. Vlajinac, Belgrade University, School of Medicine, Institute of
Epidemiology, Visegradska 24, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
60:40199 Wasserman,
D.; Varnik, A.; Eklund, G. Male suicides and alcohol
consumption in the former USSR. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica,
Vol. 89, No. 5, 1994. 306-13 pp. Copenhagen, Denmark. In Eng.
The
extent to which restrictions on the sale of alcohol affected the
decline in the Soviet suicide rate which occurred from 1984 to 1988 is
explored. "Regression analysis with alcohol consumption as the
independent variable and suicide rates and violent death rates as
dependent variables shows that suicide and alcohol consumption were
positively correlated as were violent death and alcohol
consumption....For most republics, alcohol seems to explain more than
50% of suicides."
Correspondence: Centre for Suicide
Research and Prevention, Karolinska Hospital, Box 230, 171 77
Stockholm, Sweden. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
60:40200 Way, Peter
O.; Stanecki, Karen A. The impact of HIV/AIDS on world
population. ISBN 0-16-043187-5. May 1994. 24, [15] pp. U.S. Bureau
of the Census: Washington, D.C. In Eng.
"This report presents the
method and results of incorporating AIDS mortality into the U.S. Census
Bureau's population estimates and projections for selected countries of
the world. It includes information on the impact of AIDS on fertility,
mortality, and population....The HIV/AIDS epidemic as of mid-1992 is
described in this report by region of the world. Transmission patterns,
populations at risk and geographic variations are presented. The
impact on infant, child and adult mortality; fertility; life
expectancy; and population growth is demonstrated. The available
information and the methodology and assumptions used for incorporating
AIDS mortality into the population estimates and projections are
described...."
Correspondence: U.S. Bureau of the Census,
Washington, D.C. 20233. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
