Studies that treat quantitative mortality data analytically. Methodological studies primarily concerned with mortality are cited in this division and cross-referenced to N. Methods of Research and Analysis Including Models, if necessary. The main references to crude data are in the vital statistics items in S. Official Statistical Publications.
Studies of overall mortality and comparisons of several types of mortality. Studies dealing with two or more of the topics listed in this division are classified under the major section covered, or, if this is not self-evident, included here under General Mortality.
63:30114 Ballester, Ferran; Corella, Dolores;
Pérez-Hoyos, Santiago; Sáez, Marc; Hervás,
Ana. Mortality as a function of temperature. A study in
Valencia, Spain, 1991-1993. International Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol. 26, No. 3, Jun 1997. 551-61 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"This study assesses the relationship between daily numbers of
deaths and variations in ambient temperature within the city of
Valencia [Spain]....The daily number of deaths from all causes (total
deaths and only those occurring in people aged over 70), as well as
those deaths from specific causes (e.g. cardiovascular and respiratory
diseases, malignant tumours and all causes except external ones)
occurring within the city of Valencia were related to the average daily
temperature using autoregressive Poisson regression....A statistically
significant association has been found between temperature and
mortality. This relationship is not monotonic, but mortality increases
in proportion to the variance in ambient temperature from a range of
temperatures that varies from winter to
summer."
Correspondence: F. Ballester, Institut
Valencià d'Estudis en Salut Pública, Department of
Epidemiology and Statistics, C/ Joan de Garay 23, 46017 Valencia,
Spain. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30115 Bennett, Stan; Donovan, John;
Stevenson, Chris; Wright, Peter. Mortality surveillance,
Australia, 1981-1992. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare:
Mortality Surveillance Series, No. 2, ISBN 0-644-35396-1. 1994. vi, 349
pp. Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra, Australia. In
Eng.
This "is the second in a series of publications
describing current trends in mortality in Australia. For the more
important causes of death it gives a detailed statistical profile,
including numbers of deaths and death rates at each age, and the annual
rate of change in these rates. It shows trends in the numbers of deaths
for conditions which are less frequently fatal."
For a previous
report covering the period 1979-1990, see 59:30150.
Correspondence: Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare, Publications Unit, G.P.O. Box 570, Canberra, ACT 2601,
Australia. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30116 Brewer, Cynthia A.; MacEachren, Alan
M.; Pickle, Linda W.; Herrmann, Douglas. Mapping
mortality: evaluating color schemes for choropleth maps. Annals of
the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 87, No. 3, Sep 1997.
411-38 pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
This study examines which
colors for representing health data on maps allow the most accurate
reading of the data, using the example of a recent atlas of U.S.
mortality data. The results show that color is worth the extra trouble
and expense involved because it permits greater accuracy in map
reading.
For the atlas on mortality referred to, by Pickle et al.,
see elsewhere in this issue.
Correspondence: C. A. Brewer,
Pennsylvania State University, Department of Geography, University
Park, PA 16802. Location: Princeton University Library (PR).
63:30117 Cárdenas, Rosario;
Fernández-Ham, Patricia. Reductions in
mortality. [Reducciones de la mortalidad.] Démos, No. 9,
1996. 11-2 pp. Mexico City, Mexico. In Spa.
The authors discuss the
recent mortality decline in Mexico, with a focus on causes of death at
different ages by sex. They also describe the challenge of maintaining
and improving health through preventive medicine and community
participation.
Correspondence: R. Cárdenas,
Dirección General de Estadística e Informática,
Morelos, Mexico. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30118 Fogel, Robert W. New
findings on secular trends in nutrition and mortality: some
implications for population theory. In: Handbook of population and
family economics, edited by Mark R. Rosenzweig and Oded Stark. 1997.
433-81 pp. Elsevier Science Publishers: Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Eng.
This analysis of secular trends in nutrition and mortality
integrates some recently developed biomedical techniques with several
standard economic techniques. "The discussion that follows is
divided into four parts. Section 2 briefly describes the evolution of
thought on, and knowledge of, the secular decline in mortality. Section
3 deals with new evidence and new analytical techniques that have made
it possible to switch attention from famines to chronic malnutrition as
the principal link between the food supply and mortality. Section 4
proposes a new theory of the way that the food supply and population
were brought into equilibrium between 1700 and the twentieth century.
Section 5 is a brief conclusion which also suggests some implications
of the theory for current population issues." Particular attention
is given to the relations between height and body weight and morbidity
and mortality.
Correspondence: R. W. Fogel, University of
Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30119 Fordyce, E. James; Shum, Roy; Singh,
Tejinder P.; Berenson, Louise; Forlenza, Susan. Causes of
death contributing to changes in life expectancy in New York City
between 1983 and 1992. Population Research and Policy Review, Vol.
16, No. 3, Jun 1997. 197-211 pp. Dordrecht, Netherlands. In Eng.
"Recent changes in life expectancy among race and sex groups
in New York City were evaluated by analyzing the relative effects of
different causes of death in 1983 and 1992, a period in which life
expectancy at birth declined by 1.1 years among white males, remained
unchanged among black males, and increased 1.2 years among white and
black females. Heart disease was found to be the leading cause of death
making positive contributions to changes in life expectancy regardless
of race or sex, and HIV/AIDS was the leading negative contributor.
Overall, deaths from infectious diseases and external causes are
becoming more important compared to degenerative conditions in
explaining trends in life expectancy in New York City. Past
improvements in survival due to reductions in infant deaths are being
reversed due to an increase in deaths from preventable causes such as
violence and AIDS."
Correspondence: E. J. Fordyce, New
York City Department of Health, Office of AIDS Surveillance, Box 44,
125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30120 Góralczyk-Modzelewska,
Malgorzata. Mortality among the population of the city and
voivodeship of Lódz contrasted with death rates in other
voivodeships and large and medium-sized cities in Poland in 1993.
Polish Population Review, No. 8, 1996. 93-117 pp. Warsaw, Poland. In
Eng.
"The paper presents the problem of mortality in the
Lódz area and the city of Lódz in 1993. The basis for
this description is comparisons across voivodeships, and these between
large and medium-sized cities in Poland. The comparisons were made
allowing for the basic demographic features such as sex and age of the
dead. Levels of mortality were identified for voivodeships and cities
using fractional death rates for five year age groups, with the deaths
among infants treated as a separate group."
Correspondence:
M. Góralczyk-Modzelewska, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Department of Economic and Statistical Research, Al. Niepodleglosci
208, 00-925 Warsaw, Poland. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30121 Leon, David A.; Chenet, Laurent;
Shkolnikov, Vladimir M.; Zakharov, Sergei; Shapiro, Judith; Rakhmanova,
Galina; Vassin, Sergei; McKee, Martin. Huge variation in
Russian mortality rates 1984-94: artefact, alcohol, or what?
Lancet, Vol. 350, No. 9075, Aug 9, 1997. 383-8 pp. London, England. In
Eng.
Mortality trends in Russia are analyzed over the period
1984-1994. "All major causes of death, with the exception of
neoplasms, showed declines in mortality between 1984 and 1987 and
increases between 1987 and 1994. In relative terms, these tended to be
largest for the age-group 40-50 years; surprisingly, they were of the
same magnitude among women and men. The largest declines and subsequent
increases in proportional terms were observed for alcohol-related
deaths and accidents and violence. However, pronounced effects were
also seen for deaths from infections, circulatory disease, and
respiratory disease. No substantial variations were seen for neoplasms.
The stability of mortality from neoplasms in contrast to other causes
over the period 1984-94 largely precludes the possibility that the
changes in life expectancy are mainly an artefact, particularly one due
to underestimation of the population. Although factors such as
nutrition and health services may be involved, the evidence is that
substantial changes in alcohol consumption over the period could
plausibly explain the main features of the mortality fluctuations
observed."
Correspondence: D. A. Leon, London School
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT,
England. Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30122 Murray, Christopher J. L.; Lopez,
Alan D. Alternative projections of mortality and
disability by cause 1990-2020: Global Burden of Disease Study.
Lancet, Vol. 349, No. 9064, May 24, 1997. 1,498-504 pp. London,
England. In Eng.
This is the last of four planned papers reporting
results from the Global Burden of Disease Study, a project attempting
to provide comparable and accurate estimates of causes of death for the
year 1990 for the world's major regions by age group and sex. In this
paper, the authors develop three scenarios of future mortality and
disability for different age and sex groups, causes, and regions.
"Life expectancy at birth for women was projected to increase in
all three scenarios; in established market economies to about 90 years
by 2020. Far smaller gains in male life expectancy were projected than
in females; in formerly socialist economies of Europe, male life
expectancy may not increase at all. Worldwide mortality from
communicable maternal, perinatal, and nutritional disorders was
expected to decline in the baseline scenario from 17.2 million deaths
in 1990 to 10.3 million in 2020. We projected that non-communicable
disease mortality will increase from 28.1 million deaths in 1990 to
49.7 million in 2020."
Correspondence: C. J. L.
Murray, Harvard University, Center for Population and Development
Studies, 9 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Location:
Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30123 Nizard, Alfred. The
three mortality revolutions since 1950. [Les trois
révolutions de la mortalité depuis 1950.] Population et
Sociétés, No. 327, Sep 1997. [4] pp. Institut National
d'Etudes Démographiques [INED]: Paris, France. In Fre.
Mortality trends in France are analyzed for the period since 1950.
The author notes that, although the total number of deaths has remained
relatively constant, there have been significant changes in the causes
of death. Three key factors affecting mortality are identified: the use
of antibiotics to reduce infant and child mortality; improved therapies
to cope with cardiovascular diseases; and, in the 1990s, improvements
in the treatment of cancer.
Correspondence: Institut
National d'Etudes Démographiques, 27 rue du Commandeur, 75675
Paris Cedex 14, France. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30124 Rószkiewicz,
Malgorzata. Assessment of the impact of changes related to
the system transformation on the evolution of the process of mortality
in Poland. Polish Population Review, No. 8, 1996. 7-20 pp. Warsaw,
Poland. In Eng.
"The article presents an attempt to make a
quantitative evaluation of the impact of the environment on the rate of
mortality, focusing on the group of stress-bearing factors that,
according to some hypotheses, make up the set of potential, indirect
determinants in the process of mortality. According to these opinions,
the environment can be a source of different forms of stress. One
stressor can be the social and economic status of individuals, being
the function of the economic development of the region, another the
instability of the social situation in the region. Both types of stress
sources seem to be particularly adequate in the evaluation of the
impact of this type of factor on the process of mortality in Poland in
the period of system transformation."
Correspondence:
M. Rószkiewicz, Warsaw School of Economics, Al.
Niepodleglosci 164, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30125 Scott, Susan; Duncan, C. J.
The mortality crisis of 1623 in north-west England. Local
Population Studies, No. 58, Spring 1997. 14-25 pp. Colchester, England.
In Eng.
"One of the problems for an historical study of the
effects of famine conditions on population dynamics is the dearth of
appropriate and accurate data. However, a family reconstitution study
has been carried out for the parish of Penrith (1557-1812) [in
northwestern England]....The first part of this paper uses the
demographic data assembled from the reconstitution of the community at
Penrith to assess the scale of mortality, the age and sex composition
of deaths and the fertility responses during the crisis period and
makes comparisons with available information for modern-day
famines....The second part of this paper...begins with an analysis of
the crisis for other parishes in Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire
and West Yorkshire using the same criteria of assessment and then
suggests the dominant factors that may have been responsible for the
variation in severity of mortality experienced by different
regions."
Correspondence: C. J. Duncan, University of
Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30126 Sharma, Sanjay. Drought,
mortality and social structure. Environmental Education and
Information, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1995. 85-94 pp. Salford, England. In Eng.
The social aspects of drought-induced morbidity and mortality in
India are analyzed in this study. "As a sample study, mortality
trends in Rajasthan State in India in the 1980s were analysed to
correlate the increased death rate with the drought of 1987. It is
demonstrated that drought-induced malnutrition is the root cause of
death. Sociologically, populations are divided into three
sections--fragile, resilient and potent--which are differently affected
by droughts, the fragile section suffering
worst."
Correspondence: S. Sharma, 3/9 Jawahar Nagar,
Jaipur 302 004, India. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30127 Twum-Baah, K. A.; Nyarko, Philomena
E.; Quashie, S. E.; Caiquo, I. B.; Amuah, E. Infant, child
and maternal mortality study in Ghana. Mar 1994. vii, 90 pp. Ghana
Statistical Service: Accra, Ghana. In Eng.
The results of a survey
carried out in Ghana in 1992 to estimate national and regional levels
of infant, child, and maternal mortality are presented. The survey
involved a nationally representative sample of 12,943 households, 30.3
per cent of which were urban and 69.7 per cent rural, and included
15,838 women aged 12-49. The report includes information on maternity
care and who made use of the available services, as well as
recommendations for improving those services.
Correspondence:
Ghana Statistical Service, Accra, Ghana. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30128 van Hoorn, W. D.
Mortality: trends, background, and forecast. [Sterfte: trends,
achtergronden en prognose.] Maandstatistiek van de Bevolking, Vol. 45,
No. 5, May 1997. 10-7 pp. Voorburg, Netherlands. In Dut. with sum. in
Eng.
"This article opens with a brief review of the trends in
life expectancy and in mortality rates by age in the Netherlands. The
most striking development in recent years is the continuous rise of
life expectancy for men and the stagnation for women. A few
methodological issues are discussed, such as selection processes and
the possible use in forecasts of death rates by cause. Subsequently
some important determinants of mortality and expert opinions,
especially on future longevity, as well as hypotheses in forecasts of
other developed Western countries, are reviewed."
Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
Studies dealing primarily with fetal and neonatal mortality, except those dealing with spontaneous abortions, which are classified under F.3. Sterility and Other Pathology, and those studies dealing with induced abortions, which are classified under F.4.5. Induced Abortion. Perinatal mortality is defined as mortality occurring between the twenty-eighth week of gestation and the seventh day of life.
63:30129 Nielsen, Birgitte B.; Liljestrand,
Jerker; Hedegaard, Morten; Thilsted, Shakuntala H.; Joseph,
Abraham. Reproductive pattern, perinatal mortality, and
sex preference in rural Tamil Nadu, South India: community based, cross
sectional study. British Medical Journal, Vol. 314, No. 7093, May
24, 1997. 1,521-4 pp. London, England. In Eng.
Some aspects of
reproductive patterns and perinatal mortality in South India are
explored using data collected in 1995 on 1,321 women and their
offspring in rural Tamil Nadu. The results indicate that women give
birth for the first time relatively late and have a limited number of
children, indicating a controlled reproductive pattern. An excess
neonatal mortality among girls indicates that the reduced number of
children that couples now have may clash with the wish of families to
have at least one son.
Correspondence: B. B. Nielsen,
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
Perinatal Epidemiological Research Unit, 8200 Åarhus N, Denmark.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30130 Zonta, L. A.; Astolfi, P.; Ulizzi,
L. Heterogeneous effects of natural selection on the
Italian newborns. Annals of Human Genetics, Vol. 61, No. 2, Mar
1997. 137-42 pp. Cambridge, England. In Eng.
"We have studied
the impact of natural selection through stillbirth on the Italian
population, taking into account the socio-economic heterogeneity of the
country. The results suggest that older age at delivery and lower
cultural level of the mothers, indicators of critical biological and
socioeconomic conditions, even at present increase stillbirth risk.
Moreover, in the less favourable environment of the southern regions,
selection is still sex-specific."
Correspondence: L.
A. Zonta, Università degli Studi, Dipartimento di Genetica e
Microbiologia, via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy. E-mail:
zonta@ipvgen.unipv.it. Location: Princeton University Library
(SZ).
Studies of infant mortality under one year of age, including neonatal mortality occurring after the seventh day of life, and childhood mortality after one year of age. The subject of infanticide, deliberate or implied, is also classified under this heading.
63:30131 Abdel-Latif, Moustafa M.
A proposed computer programme for determining infant survival
status in demographic surveys. Population Sciences, Vol. 14, Jan
1995. 1-6 pp. Cairo, Egypt. In Eng.
"Determining infant
survival status in demographic surveys is of great importance in
analysis of infant mortality. Missing data representing age at death in
complete months and complete years, if any, will affect the accuracy of
any related measurement. A computer programme to reduce the percentage
of such missing data is proposed."
Correspondence: M.
M. Abdel-Latif, Al-Azhar University, International Islamic Center for
Population Studies and Research, Department of Biostatistics and
Medical Demography, P.O. Box 1894-11651, Cairo, Egypt. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30132 Bhuiya, Abbas; Chowdhury,
Mushtaque. The effect of divorce on child survival in a
rural area of Bangladesh. Population Studies, Vol. 51, No. 1, Mar
1997. 57-61 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"The data for this
study come from Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh....A total of 11,95l
first marriages of Muslims that took place in the area between 1975 and
1987 were followed until the end of 1989, to examine the relationship
between parental marriage breakdown and survival of first live-born
children. The impact of divorce on survival of children during infancy
and childhood was examined, using hazard analysis....It is shown that
the net odds of death among children of divorced mothers in infancy and
childhood were respectively 3.2 and 1.4 times higher than those of
mothers whose marriages continued. The paper also discusses the
possible mechanisms which link divorce and child
survival."
Correspondence: A. Bhuiya, International
Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, G.P.O. Box 128,
Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30133 Blum, Alain; Avdeev,
Alexandre. Infant mortality in the states of the former
Soviet Union. [La mortalité infantile dans les Etats issus
de l'URSS.] In: Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
415-35 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
"Until recently,
research on USSR infant mortality was mainly devoted to registration
completedness and data validation. This paper offers a detailed
analysis of the data themselves which permit a clearcut distinction
between developed and underdeveloped States of the former Soviet Union.
Furthermore, unpublished data gave us the opportunity to analyse the
evolution of the Russian infant mortality over time and to present its
regional pattern by distinguishing European Russia and
Siberia."
Correspondence: A. Blum, Institut National
d'Études Démographiques, 27 rue du Commandeur, 75675
Paris Cedex 14, France. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30134 Burban, Anne. Births
outside marriage in Europe, social inequalities in infant mortality
persist despite the evolution of legislation and attitudes. [Les
naissances hors mariage en Europe, une inégalité sociale
persistante en matière de mortalité infantile
malgré l'évolution des législations et des
mentalités.] In: Santé et mortalité des enfants en
Europe: inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui,
edited by Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre
Buekens. 1996. 215-42 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
L'Harmattan: Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
"Births
out of wedlock have greatly increased for few decades. Now, they still
have a higher risk of stillbirth and of infant mortality. After an
outline of European laws of filiation, the evolution of live births out
of wedlock in the 20th century will be analysed and connected with the
relative risk of infant mortality according to
legitimacy."
Correspondence: A. Burban,
Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de
Démographie, 1/17 Place Montesquieu, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30135 Carlson, Elwood; Tsvestarsky,
Sergey. Rising Bulgarian infant mortality: fact or
artifact? In: Santé et mortalité des enfants en
Europe: inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui,
edited by Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre
Buekens. 1996. 469-73 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
L'Harmattan: Paris, France. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"Unpublished statistics from the Bulgarian National
Statistical Institute show that Bulgaria continues to use a restricted
definition of live births in which an infant weighing less than 1,000 g
must survive a week to be counted as a live birth. Thus the `spike' in
infant mortality observed in that country in the early 1990s was
altogether real. The same statistics show that the increase in infant
mortality occurred generally at all birth weights and in the
postneonatal as well as neonatal periods, and that the birthweight
distribution itself worsened, despite the continued exclusion of
high-risk births below a thousand grams that died in the first week of
life."
Correspondence: E. Carlson, University of South
Carolina, Department of Sociology, Columbia, SC 29208. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30136 Chunkath, Sheela R.; Athreya, V.
B. Female infanticide in Tamil Nadu: some evidence.
Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 32, No. 17, Apr-May 1997. 21-8 pp.
Mumbai, India. In Eng.
"This paper reports and discusses
evidence from a field survey on the existence of the practice of female
infanticide in Tamil Nadu [India]. Primary health centre records [for
1995] analysed, provide strong corroborative evidence that the
phenomenon is not, as earlier thought, confined to a few blocks of
Madurai and Salem districts but is seen in an almost contiguous belt
from Madurai to North Arcot Ambedkar districts of Tamil
Nadu."
Location: Princeton University Library (PF).
63:30137 Costa Rica. Ministerio de Salud.
Sección Otros Programas Prioritarios. Departamento
Estadística (San José, Costa Rica).
Indicators of infant mortality by canton, Costa Rica 1994.
[Indicadores de la mortalidad infantil por canton, Costa Rica 1994.]
Aug 1995. [vii], 44 pp. San José, Costa Rica. In Spa.
This
report presents data on infant mortality by cause in Costa Rica by
canton and province for 1994.
Correspondence: Ministerio de
Salud, Sección Otros Programas Prioritarios, Departamento de
Estadística, San José, Costa Rica. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30138 Debuisson, Marc; Buekens,
Pierre. World wars and maternal and infant preventive
health: the case of Belgium. [Guerres mondiales et
prévention maternelle et infantile: le cas de la Belgique.] In:
Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
269-97 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
"Infant mortality
rates observed in 1916 and 1943 [in Belgium] were lower than the
pre-war ones. The war is not a crisis time for babies. These good
results may have been the consequence of maternal and child health
programs implemented during the wars. Such programs included
nutritional supplements, prenatal and well-baby clinics, and
breastfeeding promotion. Moreover, these programs have widely spread a
better knowledge of appropriate infant
care."
Correspondence: M. Debuisson, Université
Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Démographie, 1/17 Place
Montesquieu, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30139 Deeb, M.; Khlat, M.; Courbage,
Y. Child survival in Beirut during wartime: time trends
and socio-religious differentials. International Journal of
Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No. 1, Feb 1997. 110-9 pp. Oxford, England. In
Eng.
"Child mortality estimates in Beirut are presented for
the late 1970s and the mid 1980s, and changes in socio-religious
differentials of mortality across time are investigated....The
regression analysis of the proportion dead among children ever born (1)
confirmed the magnitude of the religious differentials in child
mortality, and their reduction over time; (2) demonstrated the
existence of an interaction between religion and social class, as the
religious differentials in child mortality were found to be highly
prevalent in the lower social classes, and almost insignificant in the
middle and upper ones; (3) highlighted the decisive role of
differential fertility in generating differential child mortality, with
higher fertility and higher child mortality in Muslims, and with the
disappearance of religious differentials in child mortality after
adjustment for fertility."
Correspondence: M. Deeb,
American University of Beirut, Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bliss Street, Beirut,
Lebanon. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30140 Defo, Barthelemy K.
Effects of infant feeding practices and birth spacing on infant and
child survival: a reassessment from retrospective and prospective
data. Journal of Biosocial Science, Vol. 29, No. 3, Jul 1997.
303-26 pp. Cambridge, England. In Eng.
"Retrospective and
prospective data collected in Cameroon were used to reassess hypotheses
about how infant and early childhood mortality is affected by birth
spacing and breast-feeding. These data show that: (a) a short preceding
birth interval is detrimental for child survival in the first 4 months
of life; (b) full and partial breast-feeding have direct protective
effects on child survival in the first 4-6 months of life, with the
effects of the former stronger than those of the latter; (c) early
subsequent conception significantly increases mortality risks in the
first 16 months of life of the index child. These findings are robust
to various controls, e.g. study design, data defects, child's health
conditions at/around birth, postnatal maternal and child recurrent
illnesses, patterns of utilisation of health care services, and
immunisation status of the child."
Correspondence: B.
K. Defo, Université de Montréal, Département de
Démographie, C.P. 6128, Succursale A, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7,
Canada. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30141 Gaiha, Raghav; Spinedi,
Marco. Infant mortality and public policy. Public
Finance/Finances Publiques, Vol. 48, Suppl., 1993. 63-77 pp. The Hague,
Netherlands. In Eng.
"Arguing that conventional indices of
poverty (such as the head-count ratio) do not capture all aspects of
deprivation that large segments of the population experience in
developing countries, the present paper concentrates on progress in
reducing infant and child mortality, and the underlying factors. The
role of public policy in reducing infant and child mortality is
emphasised. While income matters, (independently) aspects of maternal
care and access to certain basic health services also have a
significant role. In particular, female literacy (as a proxy for
mother's literacy) has a substantial negative effect. In the context of
the concern for cost-effectiveness of public expenditure during
structural adjustment, a case is made for reordering of priorities in
educational and health expenditure, and for specific policy
interventions designed to promote female
literacy."
Correspondence: R. Gaiha, University of
Delhi, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi 110 007, India.
Location: World Bank, Joint Bank-Fund Library, Washington,
D.C.
63:30142 Gárdos, Eva;
Rychtaríková, Jitka. Recent trends in infant
health and mortality in Central and Eastern Europe. In:
Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
437-67 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"The evolution and
structure of mortality for children under one year of age have been, in
recent years, very different within countries that before were called
socialist. The Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland and Hungary continue
their decline in infant mortality. On the other hand a rise of the
infant mortality rate was observed in Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, as
well as in republics of the former Soviet Union and the former
Yugoslavia. The rise was partly due to the increasing incidence of low
birthweight. This fact can be associated with an increase in the
proportion of births from young and poorly educated mothers and with a
worsening of the medical infrastructure."
Correspondence:
E. Gárdos, Központi Karoly Utica 5-7, 1525 Budapest
II, Hungary. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30143 Gärtner, Karla.
Development of infant mortality in Germany and some international
comparisons. [Die Entwicklung der Säuglingssterblichkeit in
Deutschland und im internationalen Vergleich.] Zeitschrift für
Bevölkerungswissenschaft, Vol. 21, No. 4, 1996. 441-58 pp.
Wiesbaden, Germany. In Ger. with sum. in Eng; Fre.
The author
"describes the development of infant and perinatal mortality over
the past 30 years in the [Federal Republic of Germany] and takes into
account the factors gender, legitimacy, nationality and length of life.
The first section concludes with a discussion of several regional
differences, particularly those evident between the old federal
territory and the former GDR. The second section examines the
development of infant mortality in the member states of the EU during
the past two decades with reference to a variety of influencing
factors. To the extent possible, the definitions currently in effect in
the different countries are taken into
account."
Correspondence: K. Gärtner,
Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung, 65180 Wiesbaden,
Germany. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30144 Gourbin, Catherine.
Social inequalities in fetal-infant health and mortality: available
national sources in Europe. [Inégalités sociales en
santé et mortalité foeto-infantiles: les sources
nationales disponibles en Europe.] In: Santé et mortalité
des enfants en Europe: inégalités sociales d'hier et
d'aujourd'hui, edited by Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin,
and Pierre Buekens. 1996. 67-96 pp. Academia-Bruylant:
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan: Paris, France. In Fre. with
sum. in Eng.
"When social inequalities are expressed in terms
of infant mortality and morbidity it implies the identification of the
factors which may induce more important risks against foeto-infant
survival. Which are the variables provided by the various national data
bases, especially the Vital Registration forms, and do they allow to
adequately measure them? Which are the limits of the available
information and to which extent are they comparable across the European
countries? Although other national data bases (Medical Birth
Registries, national surveys, record linkage between census data and
other data sets) provide additional information, Vital Registration
remains a privileged information system in this
field."
Correspondence: C. Gourbin, Université
Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Démographie, 1/17 Place
Montesquieu, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30145 Grant, J. C.; Bittles, A. H.
The comparative role of consanguinity in infant and childhood
mortality in Pakistan. Annals of Human Genetics, Vol. 61, No. 2,
Mar 1997. 143-9 pp. Cambridge, England. In Eng.
"As part of
the 1990/1991 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, data were
collected on the outcome of 26,408 births to 6,611 women, with
mortality rates investigated at specific age intervals during the first
5 years of life. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression
analyses were employed to examine the comparative roles of
consanguineous marriage and a number of demographic and socioeconomic
factors, including the sex of the child, maternal age, maternal
education, birth interval and birth order, as determinants of early
death. The results indicate that, even after controlling for these
non-genetic variables, inbreeding at the level of first cousin exerted
a significant adverse effect on survival in four of the five age
intervals examined, neonatal, post-neonatal, infant and under 5
years."
Correspondence: A. H. Bittles, Edith Cowan
University, Department of Human Biology, Joondalup Campus, Perth, 6027
WA, Australia. E-mail: A.Bittles@cowan.edu.au. Location:
Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30146 Haines, Michael R.; Preston, Samuel
H. The use of the census to estimate childhood mortality:
comparisons from the 1900 and 1910 United States census Public Use
Samples. Historical Methods, Vol. 30, No. 2, Spring 1997. 77-96
pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
"In this article we present
estimates of childhood mortality, calculated by indirect methods, for
the whole United States...in conjunction with data from the 1900 and
1910 PUMS....The estimates are for the entire nation and relate to the
period just prior to the censuses of 1900 and 1910....The present 1910
indirect mortality estimates are made for the total population as well
as for the white, black, native-white, and foreign-born white
populations....The results reported in this article are presented
entirely as probabilities of child death between birth and given ages
{q(x)'s} along with the implied expectations of life at birth and
approximate dates to which the estimates
applied."
Correspondence: M. R. Haines, Colgate
University, Department of Economics, Hamilton, NY 13346. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30147 Holdsworth, Clare.
Women's work and family health: evidence from the Staffordshire
Potteries, 1890-1920. Continuity and Change, Vol. 12, No. 1, May
1997. 103-28 pp. Cambridge, England. In Eng.
"This article
will use data on women's employment and infant mortality in
Stoke-on-Trent [England] for the period 1900 and 1920 to extend
previous research on the link between infant mortality and mothers'
work....This study also examines how attitudes towards women's
employment influenced local public health policy....The article begins
by addressing women's employment in the pottery industry: the number of
women employed, their conditions of employment and the potential risks
to infant health associated with their employment. Using survey data it
is then possible to identify how many mothers were employed, the level
of infant deaths among working women and the impact of employment on
women's reproductive health."
Correspondence: C.
Holdsworth, University of Manchester, Cathie Marsh Centre for Census
and Survey Research, Manchester M60 1QD, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30148 Huang, Wenyoung; Yu, Huachun; Wang,
Fuying; Li, Guanchong. Infant mortality among various
nationalities in the middle part of Guizhou, China. Social Science
and Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 7, Oct 1997. 1,031-40 pp. Oxford, England.
In Eng.
"This paper describes infant mortality, leading causes
of death, and some associated factors among the Han, the Miao, the
Bouyei and other minority nationalities in three counties of the middle
part of Guizhou Province, China. The results showed that the overall
infant mortality rate (IMR) in these areas was 125.7 per 1,000 live
births during 1985-1987. There existed a great disparity in IMR among
different nationalities. The rate was 103.1 (Han), 148.8 (Miao), 161.2
(Bouyei) and 145.0 (other ethnic groups) per 1,000 live births,
respectively. The five leading causes of death in infants were
respiratory diseases, neonatal tetanus, birth asphyxia, infectious
diseases and diarrhoea." The relations between infant mortality on
the one hand and maternal and child health care and maternal education
on the other are analyzed.
Correspondence: W. Huang,
Guiyang Medical College, Department of Public Health, Guiyang, Guizhou,
China. Location: Princeton University Library (PR).
63:30149 Huck, Paul. Shifts in
the seasonality of infant deaths in nine English towns during the 19th
century: A case for reduced breast feeding? Explorations in
Economic History, Vol. 34, No. 3, Jul 1997. 368-86 pp. Orlando,
Florida. In Eng.
The seasonality of infant deaths in a sample of
industrial parishes in northern England is compared for the beginning
and end of the nineteenth century. Data are from official sources and
burial registers. The author finds that "a winter peak in deaths
was replaced by a summer peak and that mortality became more responsive
to hot summers during the course of the century. I show that reduced
breast feeding is a plausible explanation for the increased summer
mortality and can help explain the failure of infant mortality to fall
alongside child mortality after
mid-century."
Correspondence: P. Huck, Federal Reserve
Bank of Chicago, 200 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL
60604-2482. Location: Princeton University Library (PF).
63:30150 Knudsen, Lisbeth B.
Social differences in fertility pattern and the impact on infant
mortality in Denmark during the 1980s. In: Santé et
mortalité des enfants en Europe: inégalités
sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant,
Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996. 201-14 pp.
Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan: Paris,
France. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"Based on data from the
Fertility Database in Danmarks Statistik, which covers all of the
population in the fertile age-span in Denmark 1981-88, changes in
social characteristics of delivering women are described and infant
mortality is analyzed according to the changing age/parity structure
among delivering women belonging to different educational and
socioeconomic groups....No clear cut trends were seen in maternal
age-specific neonatal and infant mortality rates among infants born to
primiparous women, aged 25-29. When observed age-specific mortality was
compared to mortality calculated by using a standard population of 1981
as regards education and socioeconomic position, it was indicated that
the changes have not had any substantial impact on the neonatal and
infant mortality in this maternal
age-group."
Correspondence: L. B. Knudsen, Danmarks
Statistik, Sejrøgade 11, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30151 Kodio, Belco; Etard,
Jean-François. Recent evolution of infant mortality
in Bamako, Mali. [Evolution récente de la mortalité
infantile à Bamako, Mali.] Population, Vol. 52, No. 2, Mar-Apr
1997. 381-98 pp. Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng; Spa.
"A follow-up study of 4,575 live births to 4,718 pregnant
women in the Bankoni neighbourhood of Bamako is the basis for
estimating the various risk factors of infant mortality. The cohort was
formed in 1989-1992, and the last birth was in August 1993. Neonatal,
post-neonatal and infant death rates were estimated at, respectively,
15, 40 and 55.6 per 1,000 live births....This estimate of infant
mortality, based on a short and recent period, is lower than earlier
estimates from the 1980s for Bamako city. But it is comparable to urban
infant mortality in the period 1983-1992 for Senegal, where a strong
fall has been observed since the
mid-1980s."
Correspondence: B. Kodio, Institut
National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Bamako, Mali.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30152 Krishnan, Parameswara; Jin,
Yan. A statistical model of infant mortality.
Janasamkhya, Vol. 11, No. 2, Dec 1993. 67-71 pp. Kariavattom, India. In
Eng.
"We have developed here a statistical model for
describing infant deaths. Even though the model is tested with Canadian
data, it will be a good approximation of the relationship between
infant deaths and age in any population. The model needs improvement
when high risk populations are studied."
Correspondence:
P. Krishnan, University of Alberta, Department of Sociology,
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H4, Canada. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30153 Larson, Eric H.; Hart, L. Gary;
Rosenblatt, Roger A. Is non-metropolitan residence a risk
factor for poor birth outcome in the U.S.? Social Science and
Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 2, Jul 1997. 171-87 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The association between non-metropolitan residence and the
risk of poor birth outcome in the United States was examined using the
records of 11.06 million singleton births in the United States between
1985 and 1987. Rates of neonatal and post-neonatal death, low birth
weight and late prenatal care among non-metropolitan residents were
compared to the rates among metropolitan residents....Residence in a
non-metropolitan county was not found to be associated with increased
risk of low birth weight or neonatal mortality at the national level or
in most states, after controlling for several demographic and
biological risk factors. Non-metropolitan residence was associated with
greater risk of post-neonatal mortality at the national level.
Non-metropolitan residence was strongly associated with late initiation
of prenatal care at both the national level and in a majority of the
states."
Correspondence: E. H. Larson, University of
Washington, Department of Family Medicine, WAMI Rural Health Research
Center, Seattle, WA 98195. Location: Princeton University
Library (PR).
63:30154 MacFarlane, Alison.
Health inequalities among children in Europe: an epidemiologic
perspective. [Inégalités en santé des enfants
en Europe: une perspective épidémiologique.] In:
Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
35-64 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
The factors responsible
for differences in infant and child health and mortality among the
countries of Europe are examined. "Although the classifications
used to group parents' occupations vary between countries, they show
differences in mortality and ill health among babies and children even
in countries such as Sweden where they may not be expected. Suggested
explanations for these differences include that they might be artefacts
of the process of data collection and classification, or that they
might be the consequences of selection in social mobility, consequences
of the political and social structure or the consequences of culture
and life styles. Although artefact and selection processes play a part,
they do not explain all the differences observed, and both the social
structure and life styles associated with this contribute to the
differences observed. Effective strategies are needed to decrease these
inequalities, or at the very least, to diminish their effects on the
health of babies and children."
Correspondence: A.
MacFarlane, Radcliffe Infirmary, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit,
Oxford OX2 6HE, England. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30155 Masuy-Stroobant, Godelieve.
Infant health and mortality in Europe: victories of yesterday and
tomorrow's challenges. [Santé et mortalité infantile
en Europe: victoires d'hier et enjeux de demain.] In: Santé et
mortalité des enfants en Europe: inégalités
sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant,
Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996. 337-66 pp.
Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan: Paris,
France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
"According to the hypothesis
of an existing `model' of the foeto-infant mortality decline in Europe,
infant mortality rates and their components (stillbirth rate, early
neonatal, late neonatal and postneonatal mortality risks) are analyzed
for twenty-seven European countries from 1900 to 1990. One of the most
striking differences between Eastern and Western infant mortalities is
the very low stillbirth rate of the Eastern countries. The higher
mortality in the Eastern countries is associated with a higher
incidence of low and very low birthweight
births."
Correspondence: G. Masuy-Stroobant,
Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de
Démographie, 1/17 Place Montesquieu, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30156 Mendonça, Elisabeth F.;
Goulart, Eugênio M. A.; Machado, José A. D.
Reliability of the medical certificates of underlying causes of
infant deaths in a metropolitan region of southeastern Brazil.
[Confiabilidade de declaração de causa básica de
mortes infantis em região metropolitana do sudeste do Brasil.]
Revista de Saúde Pública, Vol. 28, No. 5, 1994. 385-91
pp. São Paulo, Brazil. In Por. with sum. in Eng.
"The
quality of official information on underlying causes of infant deaths
was studied on the basis of data collected for a population-based study
of the surveillance of infant mortality in the metropolitan region of
Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1989. The survey included the analysis of a
sample of infant deaths carried out by comparing the underlying causes
of death as coded on death certificates to those recorded by a group of
doctors who abstracted information from hospital records. We verified
that 11.7% of neonatal deaths did not have the underlying cause of
death confirmed by the investigation...and neither did 44.0% of
post-neonatal deaths....It is believed that this major disagreement
among post-neonatal deaths is due to the close correlation observed
among the major causes of death within this group (pneumonia, diarrhoea
and malnutrition)....It was concluded that the quality of the death
certificates is not satisfactory."
Correspondence: E.
F. Mendonça, Universidade Federal de Mina Gerais, Departamento
de Medicina Preventiva e Social, Faculdade de Medicina, Av. Alfredo
Balena 190, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30157 Meslé, France.
Infant mortality in Europe during the two world wars. [La
mortalité infantile en Europe pendant les deux guerres
mondiales.] In: Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
245-68 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
The author analyzes the
impact of the two world wars on infant mortality in Belgium, France,
England and Wales, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany. "The
impact of the first World War...appears to be rather weak in comparison
with the very important crises in 1911 (hot summer) and in 1918
(Spanish influenza). On the contrary, the second World War is
responsible, in 1945, for the last important crisis of infant mortality
of the century. As well in 1914-1918 as in 1939-1945, the excess
mortality of illegitimate children increased dramatically....In the
depth of the wars, increase or stagnation of infant mortality is
especially due to a crisis of the first month mortality, related to
endogenous causes, which is probably linked to a deterioration of the
health status of the mothers."
Correspondence: F.
Meslé, Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques, 27 rue
du Commandeur, 75675 Paris Cedex 14, France. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30158 Roberts, Ian. Cause
specific social class mortality differentials for child injury and
poisoning in England and Wales. Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health, Vol. 51, No. 3, Jun 1997. 334-5 pp. London, England.
In Eng.
"We examined social class injury mortality
differentials [among children in England and Wales] for [the] period
1985-92....Despite the overall decline in child injury mortality, steep
social class mortality differentials persist. Moreover, the results of
recent analyses show that these gradients have
widened."
Correspondence: I. Roberts, University of
London, Child Health Monitoring Unit, Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, England.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30159 Schoendorf, Kenneth C.; Kiely, John
L. Birth weight and age-specific analysis of the 1990 U.S.
infant mortality drop. Was it surfactant? Archives of Pediatrics
and Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 151, No. 2, Feb 1997. 129-34 pp. Chicago,
Illinois. In Eng.
Data from the 1983-1991 National Linked Birth and
Infant Death files are used to examine birth-weight-specific and
age-specific mortality among U.S. infants to determine if the large
decrease in infant mortality recorded in 1990 was due to surfactant
use. "The hypothesis that surfactant was partially responsible for
the overall infant mortality drop in 1990 is supported by the lower
than expected mortality among infants weighing 750 to 1749 g. However,
the unexpected improvement in postneonatal mortality among infants
weighting 2500 g or more was responsible for a substantial portion of
the overall decline and suggests that other factors also acted to
decrease U.S. infant mortality in 1990."
Correspondence:
K. C. Schoendorf, U.S. National Center for Health Statistics,
Infant and Child Health Studies Branch, Room 790, 6525 Belcrest Road,
Hyattsville, MD 20782. E-mail: KXS2@NCH07A.EM.CDC.GOV. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30160 Vasey, Daniel E. An
estimate of neonatal tetanus mortality in Iceland, 1790-1839.
European Journal of Population/Revue Européenne de
Démographie, Vol. 13, No. 1, Mar 1997. 49-69 pp. Dordrecht,
Netherlands. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"Neonatal tetanus
mortality is estimated in 21 clusters of Icelandic parishes, beginning
as early as 1790, mostly ending in 1839, using a method which Boerma
and Stroh (1993) developed with contemporary data. Icelandic rates
averaged about 60 per thousand, ranging from less than 10 to more than
250. Analysis and historical evidence suggest farming and especially
fowling contributed to exposure to infection at birth. The need to
obtain ages at death in selected intervals by days posed several
methodological problems, but similar work on other historic European
population is invited."
Correspondence: D. E. Vasey,
Divine Word College, Department of Cross-Cultural Studies, Epworth, IA
52045. E-mail: dvasey@aol.com. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30161 Wegman, Myron E. Infant
mortality: some international comparisons. Pediatrics, Vol. 98,
No. 6, Pt. 1, 1996. 1,020-7 pp. Elk Grove, Illinois. In Eng.
"IMRs [infant mortality rates] have been declining around the
world and recent progress among many industrialized countries has been
substantial. In 1994, there were 26 countries, each with population
greater than 1,000,000, that had IMRs lower than 10 per 1,000 live
births....Twenty-one countries currently have an IMR lower than the
U.S. but the differences are relatively small in absolute terms,
particularly when compared with the developing world....Success in the
developed countries underlines the far more serious situation in the
developing world. Although complete data on infant mortality are
lacking for the 100 odd countries that comprise three fourths of the
world's population, it is reliably estimated that IMRs among these
countries vary from 20 to 190 per 1,999 live
births."
Correspondence: M. E. Wegman, 2760 Overridge
Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4049. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30162 Wolpin, Kenneth I.
Determinants and consequences of the mortality and health of
infants and children. In: Handbook of population and family
economics, edited by Mark R. Rosenzweig and Oded Stark. 1997. 483-557
pp. Elsevier Science Publishers: Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Eng.
"This chapter critically surveys the literature pertaining to
two central issues in population studies related to infant and child
mortality. The first issue concerns the extent to which human fertility
is affected by the existence of (and changes in) infant and child
mortality....The second issue is concerned with the determinants of
infant and child mortality." The effects of various parental
behaviors (such as breast-feeding, prenatal care, and maternal age) on
infant health and mortality are described.
Correspondence:
K. I. Wolpin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30163 Zakharov, Sergei V. The
Second World War as a turning point of infant mortality decline in
Russia. In: Santé et mortalité des enfants en
Europe: inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui,
edited by Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre
Buekens. 1996. 311-33 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
L'Harmattan: Paris, France. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"A
critical turning point in the reduction of infant mortality [in Russia]
was achieved in the war years after a temporary sharp rise in
1941-1942. By 1945, the rate was considerably lower than before the
war. In the paper three major causes of the decline are highlighted:
intensive introduction into medical practice of the sulphonamide
therapy, as well as improvements in health care services provided to
infants and pregnant women, and changes in individual behaviour of
mothers. The problems associated with the quality of data available for
the analysis of the wartime infant mortality patterns are discussed.
Also, emphasis is made on the regional aspects of the infant mortality
evolution during the war."
Correspondence: S. V.
Zakharov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Economic
Forecasting, Center of Demography and Human Ecology, Krasikova str. 32,
Moscow 117418, Russia. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
Studies of age-specific mortality and of mortality in special groups defined by age.
63:30164 Bernard, Shulamit L.; Kincade, Jean
E.; Konrad, Thomas R.; Acury, Thomas A.; Rabiner, Donna J.; Woomert,
Alison; DeFriese, Gordon H.; Ory, Marcia G. Predicting
mortality from community surveys of older adults: the importance of
self-rated functional ability. Journal of Gerontology: Social
Sciences, Vol. 52, No. B-3, May 1997. 155-63 pp. Washington, D.C. In
Eng.
"Using data from the 1990 baseline of the National Survey
of Self-Care and Aging (NSSCA), and nearly three years of follow-up
mortality data, we examined the association between self-rated
functional ability, a global measure of perceived ability to function
independently, and mortality among a national sample of older [U.S.]
adults. The study included 3,485 subjects selected from the Medicare
Beneficiary Files according to a stratified random sampling design,
with approximately equal numbers of adults by gender in each of three
age categories, 65-74, 75-84, and 85 and over. Self-rated functional
ability was found to have an independent contribution to the subsequent
risk of death among older adults. Using multivariate models that
accounted for self-rated health, age, gender, medical conditions,
functional status, and assistance from others, poor self-ratings on
this single item nearly doubled the risk of death during the follow-up
period. These findings suggest the importance, for both researchers and
clinicians, of measuring the potential prognostic importance of
self-ratings of health and self-ratings of functional ability among
older adults."
Correspondence: S. L. Bernard,
University of North Carolina, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services
Research, Department of Health Policy and Administration, Chapel Hill,
NC 27599. Location: Princeton University Library (SW).
63:30165 Brui, B.; Kozeeva, G.
The situation concerning mortality of the economically active
population in the Russian Federation. [O situatsii so smertnost'yu
naseleniya trudosposobnogo vozrasta v Rossiiskoi Federatsii.] Voprosy
Statistiki, No. 12, 1996. 48-51 pp. Moscow, Russia. In Rus.
The
authors analyze the mortality of the economically active population in
Russia, with particular reference to the recent increases in mortality
levels. Differences in mortality by region and by sex are noted.
Possible causes of the rise in mortality, such as alcohol consumption,
are discussed.
Correspondence: B. Brui, Goskomstat Russia,
Izmailovskoe Shosse 44, 105679 Moscow, Russia. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30166 Huijbregts, Patricia; Feskens, Edith;
Räsänen, Leena; Fidanza, Flaminio; Nissinen, Aulikki;
Menotti, Alessandro; Kromhout, Daan. Dietary pattern and
20 year mortality in elderly men in Finland, Italy, and the
Netherlands: longitudinal cohort study. British Medical Journal,
Vol. 315, No. 7099, Jul 5, 1997. 13-7 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The authors "investigate the association of dietary pattern
and mortality in international data [using data for]....five cohorts in
Finland, the Netherlands, and Italy....Dietary intake varied greatly in
1970 between the three countries. In Finland and the Netherlands the
intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol was high and the intake
of alcohol was low; in Italy the opposite was observed....After
adjustment for age, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the relative risk
in the group with the healthiest diet indicator compared with the group
with the least healthy was 0.87....Estimated relative risks were
essentially similar within each country."
Correspondence:
P. Huijbregts, National Institute of Public Health and the
Environment, Department of Chronic Diseases and Environmental
Epidemiology, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, Netherlands. Location:
Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30167 Kannisto, Väinö;
Christensen, Kaare; Vaupel, James W. No increased
mortality in later life for cohorts born during famine. American
Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 145, No. 11, Jun 1, 1997. 987-94 pp.
Baltimore, Maryland. In Eng.
"The present study was designed
to evaluate the impact of extreme nutritional deprivation in utero and
during infancy and early childhood on mortality in later life. The
authors analyzed the survival of the cohorts born in Finland during the
severe 1866-1868 famine and during the 5 years immediately preceding
and 5 years immediately following the famine. The study included
331,932 individuals born prior to the famine, 161,744 born during the
famine, and 323,321 born after the famine. The authors assessed
survival by cohorts from birth to age 17 years and from age 17 to 40,
60, and 80 years, as well as average length of life after age 80
years." The results suggest that "although cohorts subjected
to prolonged and extreme nutritional deprivation in utero and during
infancy and early childhood suffer an immediate rise in mortality,
after the crisis has passed, they carry no aftereffects that influence
their survival in later life."
Correspondence: K.
Christensen, Odense University Medical School, Winslowparken 17, 5000
Odense C, Denmark. Location: Princeton University Library
(SZ).
63:30168 Kannisto, Väinö.
The advancing frontier of survival: life tables for old age.
Monographs on Population Aging, No. 3, ISBN 87-7838-185-1. 1996. 145,
[115] pp. Odense University Press: Odense, Denmark. In Eng.
Old-age
mortality in 28 developed countries in the period 1950-1990 is analyzed
by means of life tables based on 52 million deaths of which 122,000
occurred above age 100. Death rates have fallen most rapidly at ages
near 80 and less rapidly among the oldest old, but some decline is
observed even at ages 105-109. Any given death rate has in the last 20
years shifted to an age 2-3 years older. The modal length of life has
reached 87 years for women and 81 for men in the leading countries, and
if present trends continue, the figures will be 92 and 85,
respectively, by 2050. The probability of dying keeps rising with age
and there is no sign of a plateau by age 110. With age, women outnumber
men in ever-increasing proportions. The growth of the old-age
population is amply documented. Evidence shows that this epoch-making
mortality decline has been caused by period factors and not by
supposedly healthier cohorts advancing in age.
Correspondence:
Odense University Press, 55 Campusvej, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
E-mail: Press@forlag.ou.dk. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30169 Nusselder, Wilma J.; Mackenbach,
Johan P. Rectangularization of the survival curve in the
Netherlands: an analysis of underlying causes of death. Journal of
Gerontology: Social Sciences, Vol. 52, No. B-3, May 1997. 145-54 pp.
Washington, D.C. In Eng.
"This study analyzed the contribution
of selected causes of death to rectangularization of the survival curve
of Dutch men and women above age 60 in the 1980s, and determined why
rectangularization took place in the 1980s but not in the 1970s. The
contribution of causes of death was determined by means of a
decomposition analysis, using mortality data by underlying cause of
death, sex, and age from Statistics Netherlands. Our results show that
mortality reductions from ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular
diseases, and lung cancer (men only) and mortality increases from
chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (men only) and mental disorders
(women) contributed to rectangularization in the 1980s. Comparison with
the 1970s, in addition, demonstrated that in particular changes in
mortality at advanced ages...were responsible for the reversal from a
decreasingly rectangular shape of the survival curve in the 1970s curve
to rectangularization in the 1980s. The combination of increased
survival to advanced ages and reduced survival at advanced ages
explains why rectangularization of the survival curve took place
recently in The Netherlands."
Correspondence: W. J.
Nusselder, Erasmus University Medical School, Department of Public
Health and Social Medicine, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam,
Netherlands. Location: Princeton University Library (SW).
63:30170 Penninx, Brenda W. J. H.; van
Tilburg, Theo; Kriegsman, Didi M. W.; Deeg, Dorly J. H.; Boeke, A. Joan
P.; van Eijk, Jacques T. M. Effects of social support and
personal coping resources on mortality in older age: the Longitudinal
Aging Study Amsterdam. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 146,
No. 6, Sep 15, 1997. 510-9 pp. Baltimore, Maryland. In Eng.
"This study focuses on the role of social support and personal
coping resources in relation to mortality among older persons in the
Netherlands. Data are from a sample of 2,829 noninstitutionalized
people aged between 55 and 85 years who took part in the Longitudinal
Aging Study Amsterdam in 1992-1995. Social support was operationally
defined by structural, functional, and perceived aspects, and personal
coping resources included measures of mastery, self-efficacy, and
self-esteem. Mortality data were obtained during a follow-up of 29
months, on average. Cox proportional hazards regression models revealed
that having fewer feelings of loneliness and greater feelings of
mastery are directly associated with a reduced mortality risk when age,
sex, chronic diseases, use of alcohol, smoking, self-rated health, and
functional limitations are controlled for."
Correspondence:
B. W. J. H. Penninx, National Institute on Aging, Epidemiology,
Demography, and Biometry, 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Gateway Building,
Suite 3C-309, Bethesda, MD 20892. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
63:30171 Sickles, Robin C.; Taubman,
Paul. Mortality and morbidity among adults and the
elderly. In: Handbook of population and family economics, edited
by Mark R. Rosenzweig and Oded Stark. 1997. 559-643 pp. Elsevier
Science Publishers: Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Eng.
This is a
review of the literature on the determinants of morbidity and mortality
among adults in developed countries, with particular focus on the
elderly. The authors first review trends in, and cross-sectional
country comparisons of, life expectancy and mortality in the twentieth
century. Associations among mortality and aggregate per capita income,
sex, ethnicity, and health care systems are described. The structural
microeconomic models used to characterize the determinants of adult
health status are then reviewed. "In the theoretical sections of
the chapter, the alternative ways in which adult mortality is
endogenized in a choice-theoretic framework are discussed. The basic
structure of these models is used to assess the empirical studies of
the relationships between adult health and schooling level, occupation,
marital status and such `lifestyle' variables as smoking, exercise, and
alcohol consumption. Considerable space is devoted to assessing the
adequacy of data sources on adult health and mortality. The problem of
measuring health or `quality of life' is considered and particular
attention is paid to the use and validity of subjective measures of
health that are found in survey-based data. In the final section of the
chapter, [the authors] review the literature on the statistical
modeling of mortality."
Correspondence: R. C. Sickles,
Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30172 Sverre, Jan M. A
comparative study of trends in mortality rates of the ageing population
in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, 1966-1986. Scandinavian
Journal of Social Medicine, Vol. 23, No. 4, 1995. 227-32 pp. Oslo,
Norway. In Eng.
"The populations of Finland and the three
Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) have experienced
relatively marked differences regarding trends in mortality rates since
the Second World War. To assess factors that might contribute to these
differences, a cohort analysis was performed based upon vital
statistics for the age category 45 years to 89 years, from the four
countries, for the period 1966-86. The results of log-linear modelling,
which included the effects of age, period, and cohort, on mortality
rates, revealed differences in the effect of age parameters on
mortality between Finland and the three Scandinavian countries. These
differences may be related to a genetic component. Differences in
patterns of mortality rates over time relating to period and cohort
effects indicate a differential development in lifestyle-related risk
factors associated with the major causes of
death."
Correspondence: J. M. Sverre,
Universitetseksjonen, Klinikk for Geriatri og Rehab, Ullevål
Sykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30173 Vermelho, Letícia L.; Jorge,
Maria H. P. de M. Youth mortality: 1930-1991 period
analysis (the epidemiological transition to violence).
[Mortalidade de jovens: análise do período de 1930 a 1991
(a transição epidemiológica para a
violência).] Revista de Saúde Pública, Vol. 30, No.
4, 1996. 319-31 pp. São Paulo, Brazil. In Por. with sum. in Eng.
"Youth (15 to 24 years old) mortality in the cities of Rio de
Janeiro and S. Paulo [Brazil] from 1930 to 1991 is studied. The
objective is the recovery of historical data covering the period from
the third decade of this century up to the present so as to evaluate
mortality profile changes based on causes of death and to compare them
with international indicators. Results show that S. Paulo experienced a
rapid decline in the death rate for the group up to 1970, as also
happened in Rio de Janeiro city up to 1980....However, during the past
decade a higher proportion of deaths occurred in S. Paulo....After 1960
a transition took place and violent deaths, such as accidents and
homicide, became the leading causes."
Correspondence:
L. L. Vermelho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
Núcleo de Estudos de Saúde Coletiva, Avenida Brigadeiro
Trompowsky, s/n Hospital Universitário 5o andar, Ilha do
Fundão, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
Studies that present actual life table data and all studies concerned primarily with life tables, including the appropriate methodological studies. Life table studies that are concerned with topics other than mortality are classified under the appropriate heading and cross-referenced to this heading.
63:30174 Argentina. Instituto Nacional de
Estadística y Censos [INDEC] (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Complete life tables for Argentina by sex, 1990-1992. [Tabla
completa de mortalidad de la Argentina por sexo, 1990-1992.] Serie
Análisis Demográfico, No. 3, 1995. 25 pp. Buenos Aires,
Argentina. In Spa.
Complete life tables are provided for Argentina
by sex for the period 1990-1992.
Correspondence: Instituto
Nacional de Estadística y Censos, Centro Estadístico de
Servicios, Julio A. Roca 615 P.B., 1067 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30175 Millar, W. J.; David, P.
Life tables, Canada and provinces, 1990-1992. [Tables de
mortalité, Canada et provinces, 1990-1992.] Pub. Order No.
84-537. ISBN 0-660-54896-8. May 1995. xxii, 48 pp. Statistics Canada:
Ottawa, Canada. In Eng; Fre.
This report contains life tables by
sex and single year of age for Canada and its provinces using official
mortality data for the period 1990-1992. Abridged life tables for
five-year age groups by sex are also presented. The methodology used to
produce the tables is described. The report is also available on
diskette.
Correspondence: Statistics Canada, Publications
Division, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6, Canada. Location: Yale
University, Social Science Library, New Haven, CT.
63:30176 Turpeinen, Oiva; Kannisto,
Väinö. Abridged life tables for Finland,
1751-1880. Väestö/Befolkning/Population, No. 1997:5,
ISBN 951-727-339-8. 1997. 37 pp. Tilastokeskus: Helsinki, Finland. In
Eng.
"This publication contains the abridged life tables for
Finland in each decade from 1751 to 1880. Together with full-length
life tables regularly published for periods beginning in 1881, they
form an uninterrupted series of life tables spanning nearly 250
years." The tables describe a regime of high death rates even in
normal times, punctuated by sharp, often devastating peaks caused by
epidemics, famines, and wars. However, the scattered settlement pattern
of an almost totally rural country bestowed some health benefits, and
the mortality of young adults and the middle-aged compared favorably
with the more urbanized Sweden and England of the same epoch. During
the period, mortality declined significantly in infancy but not at
other ages, although the magnitude of annual fluctuations had clearly
subsided before the demographic transition.
Correspondence:
Tilastokeskus, P.O. Box 3B, 00022 Helsinki, Finland. E-mail:
mauri.nieminen@stat.fi. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30177 United States. National Center for
Health Statistics [NCHS] (Hyattsville, Maryland). Vital
statistics of the United States, 1993. Preprint of Volume II,
mortality, Part A, Section 6. Life tables. No. DHHS (PHS) 97-1104,
ISBN 0-16-048039-6. Aug 1997. iv, 20 pp. Hyattsville, Maryland. In Eng.
The official U.S. life tables for 1993 are presented. The tables
show abridged life tables by race and sex, 1993; number of survivors at
single years of age out of 100,000 born alive, by race and sex, 1993;
expectation of life at single years of age, by race and sex, 1993; and
retrospective data on life tables and life expectancy from 1900 to the
present.
For the 1992 tables, see 62:20157.
Correspondence:
U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail
Stop SSOP, Washington, D.C. 20402-9328. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
Studies on the ratio of mortality in different subgroups of a population, classified according to certain criteria, such as sex, social class, occupation, and marital status. Also includes studies on excess mortality and comparative mortality.
63:30178 Bidoli, Ettore; Franceschi, Silvia;
Simonato, Lorenzo; Piffer, Silvano; Tognazzo, Sandro; Vian, Paolo;
Prati, Sabrina; Fascioli, Silvia; Cristofolini, Mario.
Differences in cancer mortality trends between four neighboring
north-eastern areas and Italy, 1970-1990. Tumori, Vol. 81, No. 6,
1995. 399-404 pp. Rome, Italy. In Eng. with sum. in Ita.
"The
present report combines descriptive statistics...on four neighboring
areas of north-eastern (NE) Italy...and all Italy (1970-89). The aim
was to highlight potential differences in mortality trends....Death
certificates stratified by cause, sex, age and residence were obtained
from official publications....Absolute numbers of deaths from different
causes, age-standardized rates...and percentage of change over the
examined period for both sexes were computed for each geographic
area....Unfavorable trends were seen for neoplasms of the upper
aerodigestive tract, lung, breast, colo-rectum, bladder, kidney and
pancreas and cutaneous malignant melanoma. Increases in most of these
neoplasms were more marked in the 4 NE areas than in Italy [as a
whole]....The analysis of mortality trends across areas is consistent
with elevated and still increasing cancer rates in the 4 NE areas
considered, especially for tobacco and alcohol-related neoplasms and
skin melanoma."
Correspondence: E. Bidoli, Servizio di
Epidemiologia, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Via Pedemontana Occ.,
33081 Aviano (PN), Italy. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30179 Everson, Susan A.; Kauhanen, Jussi;
Kaplan, George A.; Goldberg, Debbie E.; Julkunen, Juhani; Tuomilehto,
Jaakko; Salonen, Jukka T. Hostility and increased risk of
mortality and acute myocardial infarction: the mediating role of
behavioral risk factors. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.
146, No. 2, Jul 15, 1997. 142-52 pp. Baltimore, Maryland. In Eng.
This study examines the relationship between hostility and risk for
all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and incident myocardial
infarction using data on 2,125 men aged 42 to 60 from the Kuopio
Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in eastern Finland. "Men
with hostility scores in the top quartile were at more than twice the
risk of all-cause mortality...and cardiovascular mortality...relative
to men with scores in the lowest quartile. Among 1,599 men without
previous myocardial infarction or angina, high scores also had an
increased risk of myocardial infarction....Biologic and socioeconomic
risk factors, social support, and prevalent diseases had minimal impact
on these associations, whereas adjustments for the behavioral risk
factors of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body
mass index substantially weakened the relations. Simultaneous risk
factor adjustment eliminated the observed associations. Results show
that high levels of hostility are associated with increased risk of
all-cause and cause-specific mortality and incident myocardial
infarction and that these effects are mediated primarily through
behavioral risk factors."
Correspondence: S. A.
Everson, Human Population Laboratory, Public Health Institute, 2151
Berkeley Way, Annex 2, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94704-1011.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30180 Fang, Jing; Madhavan, Shantha;
Alderman, Michael H. Nativity, race, and mortality:
influence of region of birth on mortality of U.S.-born residents of New
York City. Human Biology, Vol. 69, No. 4, Aug 1997. 533-44 pp.
Detroit, Michigan. In Eng.
"Among non-Hispanic black and white
residents of New York City the association between birthplace by region
(South, West/Midwest, and Northeast) within the United States and
mortality was determined by linking mortality records for 1988-1992
with the 1990 United States census data for New York City. Age-adjusted
death rates computed by birthplace for blacks and whites were examined
and also compared with total U.S. data. The results indicate that death
rates for New Yorkers generally exceed those of the United States
overall, and black rates exceed those of whites. Moreover,
Southern-born blacks have substantially higher death rates than do
blacks born in the Northeast. The most striking variations are for
cancer and diseases of the heart."
Correspondence: J.
Fang, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology
and Social Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30181 Fiscella, Kevin; Franks,
Peter. Poverty or income inequality as predictor of
mortality: longitudinal cohort study. British Medical Journal,
Vol. 314, No. 7096, Jun 14, 1997. 1,724-8 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The authors aim to "determine the effect of inequality in
income between communities independent of household income on
individual all cause mortality in the United States. [Data are from] a
nationally representative sample of 14,407 people aged 25-74
years...from the first national health and nutrition examination
survey....Community income inequality showed a significant association
with subsequent community mortality, and with individual mortality
after adjustment for age, sex, and mean income in the community of
residence. After adjustment for individual household income, however,
the association with mortality was lost." A comment by Richard G.
Wilkinson is included (pp. 1,727-8).
Correspondence: K.
Fiscella, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Department of Family Medicine, Rochester, NY 14620-2399. Location:
Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30182 Gorey, Kevin M.; Holowaty, Eric J.;
Fehringer, Gordon; Laukkanen, Ethan; Moskowitz, Agnes; Webster, David
J.; Richter, Nancy L. An international comparison of
cancer survival: Toronto, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, metropolitan
areas. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 87, No. 7, Jul
1997. 1,156-63 pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
This study examines
differences in cancer mortality by socioeconomic status between the
United States and Canada. "The Ontario Cancer Registry and the
National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results
(SEER) program provided a total of 58,202 and 76,055 population-based
primary malignant cancer cases for Toronto, Ontario, and Detroit, Mich,
respectively....In the U.S. cohort, there was a significant association
between socioeconomic status and survival for 12 of the 15 most common
cancer sites; in the Canadian cohort, there was no such association for
12 of the 15 sites. Among residents of low-income areas, persons in
Toronto experienced a survival advantage for 13 of 15 cancer sites at
1- and 5-year follow-up. No such between-country differentials were
observed in the middle- or high-income groups. The consistent pattern
of a survival advantage in Canada observed across various cancer sites
and follow-up periods suggests that Canada's more equitable access to
preventive and therapeutic health care services is responsible for the
difference."
Correspondence: K. M. Gorey, University
of Windsor, School of Social Work, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario
N9B 3P4, Canada. Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30183 Hoyert, Donna L.; Kung,
Hsiang-Ching. Asian or Pacific Islander mortality,
selected states, 1992. NCHS Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol.
46, No. 1, Suppl, Aug 14, 1997. 64 pp. U.S. National Center for Health
Statistics [NCHS]: Hyattsville, Maryland. In Eng.
This publication
presents data on the mortality of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API)
population of the United States in greater detail than has been
available previously. "In 1992 a total of 19,478 deaths occurred
in the Asian or Pacific Islander population in the seven States
examined in this report. Heart disease and cancer were the two leading
causes of death for each of the Asian or Pacific Islander subgroups. By
age there is striking variation in leading causes among the race
groups. Among the API subgroups in these States, age-adjusted death
rates are greatest for the Samoan and Hawaiian populations and smallest
for the Asian Indian, Korean, and Japanese populations. Life expectancy
is lowest for the Hawaiian and Samoan
populations."
Correspondence: U.S. National Center for
Health Statistics, 6525 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30184 Joossens, J. V.; Kesteloot,
H. Fourty years of evolution of mortality in Belgium and
the Netherlands. Verhandelingen--Koninklijke Academie voor
Geneeskunde van Belgie, Vol. 58, No. 4, 1996. 439-77 pp. Brussels,
Belgium. In Eng. with sum. in Fre; Dut.
"Age adjusted
mortality in Belgium (B) and The Netherlands (NL) was calculated from 5
yearly age-specific death rates between the ages 45-74 and 75-85+
years. Mortality was available in Belgium from 1954 to 1991 or 1994
(depending on the cause of death) and from 1950 to 1993 in The
Netherlands. In the 45-74 years age class all-cause mortality decreased
in B between 1955 and 1992 with 33% in men and 48% in women. In NL this
was 11% and 40%, respectively....Life expectancy in 1992 was compared
in the 15 EU countries. For both sexes together B ranked 8th, NL
3rd....Changes in life style--fat, salt, fruit and vegetable intake and
smoking habits--which occurred since 1960 in B, its regions and in NL
are consistent with the changes in mortality and life
expectancy."
Correspondence: J. V. Joossens,
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Sint-Rafaël, Department of
Epidemiology, Capucijnenvoer 33, 3000 Louvain, Belgium. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30185 Kai, Xin. An analysis of
the Chinese regional mortality differential model. Chinese Journal
of Population Science, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1996. 379-84 pp. New York, New
York. In Eng.
"Through an analysis of China's regional
mortality differential, this paper proposes a nonlinear model of
mortality and socioeconomic development level, in order to achieve...a
better understanding of the pattern of change for mortality in
different areas of the country and a more accurate projection of future
trends of regional mortality."
Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30186 Kawachi, Ichiro; Kennedy, Bruce
P. The relationship of income inequality to mortality:
does the choice of indicator matter? Social Science and Medicine,
Vol. 45, No. 7, Oct 1997. 1,121-7 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
The
extent to which mortality differentials associated with income
inequalities are influenced by the choice of indicator is explored.
"Using a cross-sectional, ecologic design, we tested the
relationships of six different income inequality indicators to total
mortality rates in the 50 U.S. states. The following summary measures
of income distribution were examined: the Gini coefficient; the decile
ratio; the proportions of total income earned by the bottom 50%, 60%,
and 70% of households; the Robin Hood Index; the Atkinson Index; and
Theil's entropy measure. All were highly correlated with each
other...and all were strongly associated with mortality...even after
adjustment for median income and poverty. Thus, the choice of income
distribution measure does not appear to alter the conclusion that
income inequality is linked to higher mortality. Furthermore,
adjustment for taxes and transfers, as well as household size (using
equivalence scales), made no difference to the income
inequality/mortality association."
Correspondence: I.
Kawachi, Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Health and
Social Behavior, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. Location:
Princeton University Library (PR).
63:30187 Korenman, Sanders; Goldman, Noreen;
Fu, Haishan. Misclassification bias in estimates of
bereavement effects. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 145,
No. 11, Jun 1, 1997. 995-1,002 pp. Baltimore, Maryland. In Eng.
"Prospective studies that examine marital status differences
in health and mortality frequently fail to update information on
marital status in statistical models. The authors illustrate how the
resulting misclassification of marital status can produce substantial
bias in estimates of bereavement effects associated with widowhood.
They use as their main source of data the [U.S.] Longitudinal Study of
Aging (LSOA), 1984-1990, a national survey of persons aged 70 years and
older. The estimates are based primarily on 3,192 respondents who were
married and cohabiting with their spouses at the time of the baseline
survey and who could be matched to their spouses'
records."
Correspondence: N. Goldman, Princeton
University, Office of Population Research, 21 Prospect Avenue,
Princeton, NJ 08544-2091. Location: Princeton University
Library (SZ).
63:30188 Kunst, Anton E.; Mackenbach, Johan
P. Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in mortality.
In: Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
97-127 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"The purpose of this
paper is to provide guidelines for the choice of the most appropriate
methods in specific studies on socioeconomic inequalities in mortality.
Part 2 discusses the measurement of socioeconomic status....Part 3
discusses the choice of inequality indices by which the size of
mortality differences between high and low socioeconomic groups is
summarized into a single figure....Part 4 illustrates the application
of the framework of twelve indices to data from Finland on trends in
mortality by occupational class and educational level in the period
1971 to 1990."
Correspondence: A. E. Kunst, Erasmus
University, Department of Public Health, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR
Rotterdam, Netherlands. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30189 Laake, Knut; Sverre, Jan M.
Winter excess mortality: a comparison between Norway and England
plus Wales. Age and Ageing, Vol. 25, No. 5, 1996. 343-8 pp.
Oxford, England. In Eng.
"Using data from Norway and England
plus Wales, this study compares the effect of age, temperature and
influenza on winter excess mortality in the two countries. Bivariate
analyses showed that the excess winter mortality (December-March) in
England and Wales was nearly twice as high in old as in middle-aged
people, and also markedly higher than in Norway, while the association
between excess winter deaths and influenza was of a similar magnitude.
In the British data only, a marked and statistically significant
negative relationship existed between outdoor temperature and excess
winter mortality...."
Correspondence: K. Laake,
Ullevaal Hospital, Department of Geriatric Medicine, 0407 Oslo, Norway.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30190 Leonard, William R.; Keenleyside,
Anne; Ivakine, Evgueni. Recent fertility and mortality
trends among aboriginal and nonaboriginal populations of Central
Siberia. Human Biology, Vol. 69, No. 3, Jun 1997. 403-17 pp.
Detroit, Michigan. In Eng.
"We examine mortality and fertility
patterns of aboriginal (primarily Evenki and Keto) and Russian (i.e.,
nonaboriginal) populations from the Baykit District of Central Siberia
for the period 1982-1994....The results presented here indicate that
the health of indigenous Siberian groups continues to lag well behind
that of Russians living in the same region and northern aboriginal
populations of Canada. Indeed, both the infant and total mortality
profiles of the Baykit aboriginal population are comparable to those
observed among developing world countries. The disparity in mortality
levels between the aboriginal and nonaboriginal populations of the
Baykit District is similar to that seen in other regions of Siberia and
can be attributed to differences in living conditions and access to
health care...."
Correspondence: W. R. Leonard,
University of Florida, Department of Anthropology, 1350 Turlington
Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30191 Lindsted, Kristian D.; Singh, Pramil
N. Body mass and 26-year risk of mortality among women who
never smoked: findings from the Adventist mortality study.
American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 146, No. 1, Jul 1, 1997. 1-10
pp. Baltimore, Maryland. In Eng.
"In this study, we present
the 26-year all-cause mortality experience of 12,576 non-Hispanic white
Seventh-day Adventist women (aged 30-74 years). This study of women who
never smoked and who also reported a relatively low consumption of
alcohol and animal products provides a unique opportunity to examine
the independent effect of body weight on the mortality patterns of
women. To investigate changes in the mortality patterns due to age at
baseline and duration of follow-up, we determined age-specific risk of
all-cause mortality across levels of BMI [body mass index] during
specified intervals of the 26-year follow-up period." The findings
"implicate overweight as a risk factor for fatal disease among
women throughout adulthood and raise the possibility that lean,
apparently healthy, middle-aged women may experience a higher risk of
death during old age due to their lower body
weight."
Correspondence: K. D. Lindsted, Loma Linda
University, Center for Health Research, Nichol Hall, Room 2008, Loma
Linda, CA 92350. Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30192 Mackenbach, Johan P.; Kunst, Anton
E.; Cavelaars, Adriënne E. J. M.; Groenhof, Feikje; Geurts,
José J. M. Socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity
and mortality in western Europe. Lancet, Vol. 349, No. 9066, Jun
7, 1997. 1,655-9 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"Previous
studies of variation in the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in
health between countries have methodological drawbacks. We tried to
overcome these difficulties in a large study that compared inequalities
in morbidity and mortality between different countries in western
Europe....Data on four indicators of self-reported morbidity by level
of education, occupational class, and/or level of income were obtained
for 11 countries, and years ranging from 1985 to 1992. Data on total
mortality by level of education and/or occupational class were obtained
for nine countries [from] about 1980 to about 1990....Countries in
western Europe were generally similar in the size of socioeconomic
inequalities in health. In all countries, risks of morbidity and
mortality were higher in the lower socioeconomic groups. Surprisingly,
we found that relative inequalities were larger than average in Sweden
and Norway (both for morbidity and mortality). France had the highest
inequality for mortality."
Correspondence: J. P.
Mackenbach, Erasmus University, Department of Public Health, P.O. Box
1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
63:30193 Mäkelä, Pia; Valkonen,
Tapani; Martelin, Tuija. Contribution of deaths related to
alcohol use to socioeconomic variation in mortality: register based
follow up study. British Medical Journal, Vol. 315, No. 7102, Jul
26, 1997. 211-6 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The contribution of
excessive alcohol use to variations in mortality by socioeconomic class
in Finland is analyzed using data from the 1985 and 1990 censuses over
the follow-up period 1987-1993. The results indicate that "alcohol
related mortality constituted 11% of all mortality among men aged [20
and over] and 2% among women and was higher among manual workers than
among other classes. It accounted for 14% of the excess all cause
mortality among manual workers over upper non-manual employees among
men and 4% among women and for 24% and 9% of the differences in life
expectancy, respectively. Half of the excess mortality from accidents
and violence among male manual workers and 38% among female manual
workers was accounted for by alcohol related deaths, whereas in
diseases the role of alcohol was modest. The contribution of alcohol
related deaths to relative mortality differentials weakened with
age."
Correspondence: P. Mäkelä, University
of Helsinki, Department of Sociology, Population Research Unit, P.O.
Box 18, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: pia.makela@helsinki.fi.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30194 Merino, Cristina; Vallejo, Francisco;
Aguinaga, Lenin. Differential mortality by sex in three
regions of Ecuador. [Mortalidad diferencial por sexos en tres
regiones del Ecuador.] Correo Poblacional y de la Salud, Vol. 5, No. 1,
Mar 1997. 20-7 pp. Quito, Ecuador. In Spa.
The authors present
information on general and infant mortality by sex. They analyze the
principal causes of death at the national, regional, and provincial
level in an attempt to identify regional inequalities.
Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30195 Murray, John E.
Standards of the present for people of the past: height, weight,
and mortality among men of Amherst College, 1834-1949. Journal of
Economic History, Vol. 57, No. 3, Sep 1997. 585-606 pp. New York, New
York. In Eng.
Data for 2,500 male students attending Amherst
College, Massachusetts, during the nineteenth century are used to
examine whether the anthropometric-mortality relationships that have
been found in present-day populations also characterized populations in
the past. "This article finds U-shaped body mass index
(BMI)-mortality risk relationships among nineteenth-century men that
were similar to such relationships as found in twentieth-century men.
No relationship between height and mortality could be detected. This
article infers from the socioeconomic homogeneity of the sample that
the BMI-mortality risk relationship, although apparently invariant with
respect to time, is driven by noneconomic
factors."
Correspondence: J. E. Murray, University of
Toledo, Department of Economics, Toledo, OH 43606-3390. Location:
Princeton University Library (PF).
63:30196 Mustard, Cameron A.; Derksen,
Shelley; Berthelot, Jean-Marie; Wolfson, Michael; Roos, Leslie
L. Age-specific education and income gradients in
morbidity and mortality in a Canadian province. Social Science and
Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 3, Aug 1997. 383-97 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The objective of this study was to describe age-specific
socioeconomic differentials in mortality and morbidity for a
representative sample of a single Canadian province. The study sample
was formed from the linkage of individual respondent records in the
1986 census of vital statistics records and comprehensive records of
health care utilization for a 5% sample of residents of the province of
Manitoba....Mortality was inversely associated with both income and
education....The general findings of this study of a representative
Canadian population support observations from other developed country
settings that socioeconomic differences in relative rates of mortality
and morbidity over the life course are greatest in the adult
years."
Correspondence: C. A. Mustard, Manitoba Centre
for Health Policy and Evaluation, St. Boniface General Hospital
Research Centre, Suite 2008, 351 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H
2A6, Canada. Location: Princeton University Library (PR).
63:30197 O'Shea, Eamon. Male
mortality differentials by socioeconomic group in Ireland. Social
Science and Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 6, Sep 1997. 803-9 pp. Oxford,
England. In Eng.
Differential male mortality by socioeconomic group
and by cause of death is analyzed for Ireland using official mortality
data for the period 1986-1991. Methodological issues associated with
trend analysis are highlighted. "There is some discussion on both
causal relationships and policy implications arising from analysis of
the data. The results confirm international trends in this area: poorer
people have higher mortality relative to people in more advantaged
circumstances."
Correspondence: E. O'Shea, University
College Galway, Department of Economics, Galway, Ireland. Location:
Princeton University Library (PR).
63:30198 Osler, Merete; Schroll,
Marianne. Diet and mortality in a cohort of elderly people
in a North European community. International Journal of
Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No. 1, Feb 1997. 155-9 pp. Oxford, England. In
Eng.
"Despite an increase in the movement of food around the
world, there is still a wide spectrum of dietary patterns and the aim
of the present study was to examine the association between a
Mediterranean dietary pattern and mortality in a cohort of elderly
people living in a [Danish municipality]....A diet score, with seven
dietary characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, was associated with
a significant reduction in overall mortality....A Mediterranean diet
score predicts survival in a North European population. Plasma carotene
may serve as an intermediate factor in this
association."
Correspondence: M. Osler, University of
Copenhagen, Department of Social Medicine, Panum Institute, Blegdamsvej
3, 2220 Copenhagen N, Denmark. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30199 Pelletier, François;
Légaré, Jacques; Bourbeau, Robert. Mortality
in Quebec during the nineteenth century: from the state to the
cities. Population Studies, Vol. 51, No. 1, Mar 1997. 93-103 pp.
London, England. In Eng.
"The aim of this paper is to explore
mortality in Quebec during the nineteenth century from a demographic
perspective. During the nineteenth century, there was excess urban
mortality in various countries; in order to identify such mortality
differentials, we compared mortality indicators for the province of
Quebec and then for the urban areas of Montreal and Quebec
City....According to the data we analyzed, mortality is undoubtedly
higher in urban areas even though a convergence in trends took place
towards the end of the century, resulting in an overall reduction in
mortality....Life expectancy estimates based on a cross-sectional
approach were systematically lower than those resulting from a
cohort-specific one."
Correspondence: F. Pelletier,
Université de Montréal, Département de
Démographie, Groupe de Recherche sur la Démographie
Québécoise, C.P. 6128, Succursale A, Montreal, Quebec H3C
3J7, Canada. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30200 Ramírez de Arellano, Annette
B. Premature mortality among U.S. Puerto Ricans,
1989. New England Journal of Public Policy, Vol. 11, No. 2,
Spring-Summer 1996. 143-53 pp. Boston, Massachusetts. In Eng.
"The indicator `years of potential life lost' (YPLL) points
out the extent to which premature death among Puerto Ricans residing in
the United States is a function of behaviors and social conditions. The
computation of YPLL for various causes of death highlights the
devastating effect of HIV infection, which emerges as the leading cause
of premature death for both genders....Accidents and homicides follow
HIV as leading causes of YPLL. This indicator also underscores
gender-specific vulnerabilities. Men comprise less than half the U.S.
Puerto Rican population, but they account for 61.1 percent of all
deaths and 73 percent of YPLL."
Correspondence: A. B.
Ramírez de Arellano, University of Massachusetts, John W.
McCormack Institute of Public Affairs, Harbor Campus, Boston, MA 02125.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30201 Sundquist, Jan; Johansson,
Sven-Erik. Self-reported poor health and low educational
level predictors for mortality: a population based follow up study of
39,156 people in Sweden. Journal of Epidemiology and Community
Health, Vol. 51, No. 1, Feb 1997. 35-40 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The authors "analyse the relative risk (RR) of mortality for
people who reported poor health or had low educational level [in]
Sweden....A random sample of 39,156 people was interviewed face to face
by Statistics Sweden from 1979-85....Men and women in both age groups
who reported poor health status at the interview had a strongly
increased risk of dying during the follow up period....Living alone,
renting an apartment, and low educational level...were also associated
with increased mortality risks for men and women in both age
groups....Poor self reported health was a strong predictor for total
mortality."
Correspondence: J. Sundquist, University
of Lund, Department of Community Health Sciences Dalby/Lund,
Helgeandsgatan 16, 223 54 Lund, Sweden. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30202 Sundquist, Jan; Johansson,
Sven-Erik. The influence of country of birth on mortality
from all causes and cardiovascular disease in Sweden, 1979-1993.
International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No. 2, Apr 1997. 279-87
pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The present study highlights the
relation between country of birth, adjusted for other social variables,
and total mortality and mortality from circulatory diseases and
coronary heart disease (CHD). [Data are from] interviews with 21,420
males and 21,977 females aged 20-74 [in Sweden]....Men born in Finland
had an increased mortality from all causes of death. Women born in
Finland had an increased mortality risk for circulatory diseases....The
increased mortality risk for Finnish males and females and, in addition
the increased circulatory disease mortality risk for Finnish females
and the strongly increased risk for CHD mortality for females born in
Finland and Eastern Europe could not be explained by confounding by
age, marital status or socioeconomic
position."
Correspondence: J. Sundquist, University of
Lund, Department of Community Health Sciences Dalby/Lund,
Helgeandsgatan 16, 223 54 Lund, Sweden. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30203 Tabutin, Dominique; Willems,
Michel. Excess mortality of girls up to 1940: a good
example of sexual inequalities in Western history. [La
surmortalité des filles jusqu'en 1940: un bel exemple des
inégalités sexuelles dans l'histoire occidentale.] In:
Santé et mortalité des enfants en Europe:
inégalités sociales d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, edited by
Godelieve Masuy-Stroobant, Catherine Gourbin, and Pierre Buekens. 1996.
129-77 pp. Academia-Bruylant: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; L'Harmattan:
Paris, France. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
"On the basis of a
large set of mortality data by age and sex from 24 industrialized
countries of Europe, America and Oceania, we try to relate the history
of sex inequalities from birth to puberty, between 1800 and
1940....Using the ratio of male to female mortality rates (%) as
indicator of excess mortality, we confirm the excess male mortality
during the first year of life, but especially the extension of the
excess female mortality between 5 and 15 years....The data by causes of
death show the impact of infectious and parasitic diseases in the
excess female mortality observed in childhood and young ages. This will
only disappear with the dramatic change occurring in the
causes-of-death structure following the disappearance of these
diseases. The frailty of the young girl's situation from 5 to 15 years
and the importance of tuberculosis at these ages are tackled in
detail."
Correspondence: D. Tabutin, Université
Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Démographie, 1/17 Place
Montesquieu, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30204 Vågerö, Denny.
Region of birth and mortality among black Americans. American
Journal of Public Health, Vol. 87, No. 5, May 1997. 724-7 pp.
Washington, D.C. In Eng.
The author discusses recent research on
the relation between place of birth and mortality among blacks in the
United States. The impact of social class at birth is also
considered.
Correspondence: D. Vågerö, Stockholm
University, Department of Sociology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30205 Valkonen, Tapani. Social
inequalities in mortality. In: Démographie: analyse et
synthèse. Causes et conséquences des évolutions
démographiques, Volume 3. Apr 1997. 51-67 pp. Centre
Français sur la Population et le Développement [CEPED]:
Paris, France; Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza,
Dipartimento di Scienze Demografiche: Rome, Italy; Università
degli Studi di Siena, Facoltà di Giurisprudenza: Siena, Italy.
In Eng.
The author reviews the reasons why people of lower
socioeconomic status generally have lower life expectancies than those
of higher socioeconomic status. He reviews some national studies on
this subject, considers age differences in mortality, and notes some
studies that make international comparisons. Trends in such
differentials over time are also examined. In order to arrive at a
better understanding of the reasons for these differentials, causes of
death are analyzed. The author concludes with a discussion of the
explanations for socioeconomic mortality
differentials.
Correspondence: T. Valkonen, University of
Helsinki, P.O. Box 33 (Yliopistonkatu 4), 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30206 Vallin, Jacques.
Mortality differentials by sex. [Les différences de
mortalité entre sexes.] In: Démographie: analyse et
synthèse. Causes et conséquences des évolutions
démographiques, Volume 3. Apr 1997. 21-50 pp. Centre
Français sur la Population et le Développement [CEPED]:
Paris, France; Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza,
Dipartimento di Scienze Demografiche: Rome, Italy; Università
degli Studi di Siena, Facoltà di Giurisprudenza: Siena, Italy.
In Fre.
The various factors contributing to differential mortality
by sex are examined. The author identifies four paradoxes concerning
such differentials. The first is that males generally survive the
period following their birth more frequently than females, but over the
long term, males die sooner. The second is that, despite the fact that
women's lifestyles are becoming more like those of men, the gap between
female and male life expectancy is increasing. The third is that
although the sex differential in mortality increases with increasing
life expectancy, the sex differential in mortality is lowest where life
expectancy is highest. The final paradox is that male excess mortality
may go hand in hand with a reduction in differences in life expectancy
by sex.
Correspondence: J. Vallin, Institut National
d'Etudes Démographiques, 27 rue du Commandeur, 75675 Paris Cedex
14, France. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30207 Velkova, Angelika; Wolleswinkel-van
den Bosch, Judith H.; Mackenbach, Johan P. The East-West
life expectancy gap: differences in mortality from conditions amenable
to medical intervention. International Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol. 26, No. 1, Feb 1997. 75-84 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"Although mortality from conditions amenable to medical
intervention has frequently been shown to be higher in the countries of
Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE) than in the countries of Western
Europe (CWE), the contribution of these mortality differences to the
East-West gap in life expectancy is unknown....The specific objectives
of our study were: (i) to describe the differences in mortality from
conditions amenable to medical intervention between CCEE and CWE; (ii)
to estimate the contribution of these differences in mortality to the
difference in life expectancy between CCEE and CWE; (iii) to compare
this contribution with that of the differences in mortality from the
four major cause-of-death groups (cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
respiratory diseases, external causes)." The authors conclude that
"although the contribution of conditions amenable to medical
intervention should not be taken as a direct estimate of the
contribution of medical care to the East-West life expectancy gap,
[the] results suggest that reducing differences in the effectiveness of
medical care may be more important for narrowing the life expectancy
gap than has hitherto been assumed."
Correspondence:
A. Velkova, Erasmus University, Department of Public Health, P.O.
Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30208 Wannamethee, S. Goya; Shaper, A.
Gerald. Lifelong teetotallers, ex-drinkers and drinkers:
mortality and the incidence of major coronary heart disease events in
middle-aged British men. International Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol. 26, No. 3, Jun 1997. 523-31 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The
authors aim "to determine the risk of all cause mortality and the
incidence of major coronary heart disease (CHD) events in lifelong
teetotallers and in ex-drinkers compared with occasional and regular
drinkers [using data from] a prospective study of...7,735 [British]
middle aged 40-59 years....Ex-drinkers exhibited increased
cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality; lifelong teetotallers
showed the lowest cardiovascular mortality but a significantly
increased non-cardiovascular mortality....In men without a diagnosis of
CHD, lifelong teetotallers and ex-drinkers showed similar increased
relative risk (RR) of heart attacks, with regular drinkers (combined)
having a significantly decreased risk compared to occasional
drinkers...and non-drinkers...."
Correspondence: S. G.
Wannamethee, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, Department of
Primary Care and Population Sciences, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3
2PF, England. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30209 Wannamethee, S. Goya; Shaper, A.
Gerald. Socioeconomic status within social class and
mortality: a prospective study in middle-aged British men.
International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No. 3, Jun 1997. 532-41
pp. London, England. In Eng.
"We have examined the
relationship between social class and mortality using home and car
ownership as additional indices of socioeconomic status within social
class. [Data are from] a prospective study of a cohort of [7,735 men
aged 40-59 years], representative of the social class distribution of
middle-aged men in Great Britain....During the follow-up period there
were 946 deaths from all causes among the 7,262 men....Mortality
differences within society are greater than indicated by social class
based on occupation alone. Irrespective of social class, men with
greater material assets have lower rates of mortality from all causes
than men less well endowed, independent of a wide range of lifestyle
and biological factors. These findings suggest that mortality
differences within our society are closely related to relative
wealth."
Correspondence: S. G. Wannamethee, Royal Free
Hospital School of Medicine, Department of Primary Care and Population
Sciences, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
Studies of demographic relevance on causes of death. Studies of morbidity and of public health measures are included only if they relate specifically to mortality. Also included are maternal mortality and comparisons of causes.
63:30210 Archibald, C. P.; Lee, Hin
Peng. Smoking-associated mortality in a cohort of
Singaporeans observed for 20 years. Annals: Academy of Medicine,
Singapore, Vol. 25, No. 1, Jan 1996. 123-8 pp. Singapore. In Eng.
"This study is the first to provide data specific to Singapore
on the increased mortality among smokers, and is one of the few such
studies on Asians....Relative risk values were clearly elevated for
male and female smokers for all-cause mortality (1.42 and 1.52,
respectively), lung cancer (13.2, 6.37) and death due to chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (4.71, 8.50). Relative risk values
for death from cancer of the larynx or oesophagus, ischaemic heart
disease and cerebrovascular disease were elevated but not significantly
different from 1.0. A trend of increasing risk with increasing smoking
intensity was seen for all-cause mortality among men and for lung
cancer and COPD mortality, among both sexes. Ethnicity was associated
with ischaemic heart disease mortality among
men...."
Correspondence: H. P. Lee, National
University of Singapore, Department of Community and Occupational
Family Medicine, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30211 Bourbeau, Robert; Courville,
Valérie. Violent death according to age, sex, and
cause: a classification of the industrial countries, 1985-1989.
[La mortalité violente selon l'âge, le sexe et la cause:
un essai de classification des pays industrialisés, 1985-1989.]
European Journal of Population/Revue Européenne de
Démographie, Vol. 13, No. 1, Mar 1997. 71-94 pp. Dordrecht,
Netherlands. In Fre. with sum. in Eng.
"Using cluster
analysis, groupings of countries can be made on the basis of the level
of violent death, its age-composition and its causes. It is possible to
show that some countries with heavy and with light burdens of violent
death have characteristic profiles of mortality according to age and
cause of death. For example, surmortality in some Eastern (Hungary and
Czechoslovakia) and in some Northern and Western countries (Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland) produces a
kind of horizontal corridor in Europe. Differences between countries in
respect of mortality from motor vehicle traffic accidents, falls and
suicide account to a considerable degree for the patterns
observed."
Correspondence: R. Bourbeau,
Université de Montréal, Département de
Démographie, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal,
Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30212 Brenner, Hermann; Arndt, Volker;
Rothenbacher, Dietrich; Schuberth, Stephan; Fraisse, Eckart; Fliedner,
Theodor M. The association between alcohol consumption and
all-cause mortality in a cohort of male employees in the German
construction industry. International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.
26, No. 1, Feb 1997. 85-91 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"In
this paper, we present analyses on the relation between self-reported
alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality in a cohort of construction
workers from Southern Germany...." It is found that
"prevalence of pre-existing diseases was highest among heavy
drinkers, while no major differences were observed between abstainers
and men who consumed 1-49 g of alcohol per day. Overall, 172 men died
during the follow-up period. There was a strong U-shaped relationship
between alcohol consumption and total mortality....Strongly increased
mortality was also found among heavy drinkers. Exclusion of
non-drinkers with pre-existing diseases did not change the U-shaped
association."
Correspondence: H. Brenner, University
of Ulm, Department of Epidemiology, 89069 Ulm, Germany. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30213 Burnley, I. H.
Disadvantage and male cancer incidence and mortality in New South
Wales 1985-1993. Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 3, Aug
1997. 465-76 pp. Oxford, Engalnd. In Eng.
"Male premature
mortality variations from cancers by socioeconomic status and marital
status were analysed for the periods 1986-1989 and 1990-1993 for New
South Wales [Australia]. Cancer incidence and mortality were also
surveyed by statistical local areas within metropolitan Sydney between
1985 and 1991 and correlation and regression analyses were undertaken
with socioeconomic indicators and the modified Jarman 8 disadvantage
indicator. Marital status variations were found with most major
cancers, with not currently married men being more at risk....An
unexpected finding with mortality was an occupational status bipolarity
with several cancers, notably with managerial and manual workers. There
are implications for the more precise targeting of populations at
risk."
Correspondence: I. H. Burnley, University of
New South Wales, School of Geography, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Location: Princeton University Library (PR).
63:30214 Chevarley, Frances; White,
Emily. Recent trends in breast cancer mortality among
white and black U.S. women. American Journal of Public Health,
Vol. 87, No. 5, May 1997. 775-81 pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
"Time trends in breast cancer mortality were analyzed from
1970 to 1992 among White and Black U.S. women aged 25 and over....For
White women of all ages, breast cancer mortality decreased by
1.6%...per year on average during 1989 to 1992, in contrast to the flat
mortality rates observed during the 1970s and a 0.5% average annual
increase during 1980 to 1988. The decline was observed for White women
under age 60, among whom breast cancer mortality had been decreasing,
and for White women aged 60 to 79, among whom breast cancer mortality
had been increasing, but it was not observed among Black
women."
Correspondence: F. Chevarley, National Center
for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Survey, 6525
Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
63:30215 Corrao, Giovanni; Ferrari, Pietro;
Zambon, Antonella; Torchio, Pierfederico; Aricò, Sarino;
Decarli, Adriano. Trends of liver cirrhosis mortality in
Europe, 1970-1989: age-period-cohort analysis and changing alcohol
consumption. International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No.
1, Feb 1997. 100-9 pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"The object of
our study was to describe liver cirrhosis mortality in European
countries between 1970 and 1989. We used an age-period-cohort
log-linear Poisson model to assess the effect of early environmental
exposure on the geographical distribution and on the temporal pattern
of mortality rates. In particular, we have attempted to clarify whether
the recent trend in mortality data represents a short-term fluctuation
or an emerging long-term trend, possibly related to the changes in
alcohol consumption....The current application of age-period-cohort
analysis on European liver cirrhosis mortality gives additional
evidence about the different role of aetiological and prognostic
factors in the European areas, the changing levels of exposure to the
aetiological and prognostic factors in different populations, and makes
it possible to hypothesize future trends in liver cirrhosis
mortality."
Correspondence: G. Corrao,
Università degli Studi di Milano, Istituto di Scienze
Statistiche e Matematiche Marcello Boldrini, Via Conservatorio 7, 20122
Milan, Italy. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30216 Dyker, Alexander G.; Weir,
Christopher J.; Lees, Kennedy R. Influence of cholesterol
on survival after stroke: retrospective study. British Medical
Journal, Vol. 314, No. 7094, May 31, 1997. 1,584-8 pp. London, England.
In Eng.
The authors "investigate the association between serum
cholesterol concentration and cerebrovascular disease....[Data are from
Glasgow, Scotland, and concern] 977 patients with acute stroke....After
adjustment for known prognostic factors, higher serum cholesterol
concentrations were associated with reduced long term mortality after
stroke....independently of stroke type, vascular territory and extent,
age, and hyperglycaemia. Three month outcome was also influenced
independently by serum cholesterol....Our data suggest an association
between poor stroke outcome and lower serum cholesterol concentration.
Until a prospective controlled study has confirmed the benefits of
lowering cholesterol concentration in elderly subjects, the application
of cholesterol lowering guidelines cannot be justified as secondary
prevention of acute stroke."
Correspondence: A. G.
Dyker, Gardiner Institute, Western Infirmary, Department of Medicine
and Therapeutics, Acute Stroke Unit, Glasgow G11 6NT, Scotland.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30217 Garenne, Michel; Mbaye, Khadidiatou;
Bah, Mohamed D.; Correa, Paul. Risk factors for maternal
mortality: a case-control study in Dakar hospitals (Senegal).
African Journal of Reproductive Health, Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar 1997. 14-24
pp. Benin City, Nigeria. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"This study
was conducted in the three main hospitals of Dakar, the capital city of
Senegal....[It] was conducted to identify the most significant risk
factors (institutional, behavioural, biological, and socio-demographic)
of maternal deaths, and how the knowledge of those risk factors could
be used to prevent maternal deaths....The estimated level of maternal
mortality in the city (lower bound) is high by international standards,
but matches other estimates in sub-Saharan Africa....The causes of
deaths were varied, as usually found in other studies, but the role of
infections appeared larger than in other studies....According to
empirical findings, a lot could be gained by simple prevention, in
particular regular antenatal visits, vaccinations, and quick referral
in case of complications."
Correspondence: M. Garenne,
Centre Français sur la Population et le Développement, 15
rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France.
E-mail: garenne@ceped.ined.fr. Location: Princeton University
Library (SPR).
63:30218 Garenne, Michel L.; Madison, Maria;
Tarantola, Daniel; Zanou, Benjamin; Aka, Joseph; Dogoré,
Raymond. Mortality impact of AIDS in Abidjan,
1986-1992. AIDS, Vol. 10, No. 11, 1996. 1,279-86 pp. London,
England. In Eng.
The authors "quantify the mortality impact of
AIDS in the city of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) by a full scale
analysis of mortality trends before and after the onset of the
epidemic....Data on deaths registered in the 10 vital registration
centers of the city between 1973 and 1992, and data on causes of deaths
in the four public hospitals were coded and investigated....There was a
marked increase in death rates starting in 1986, date of the first
diagnosed AIDS cases in the city. This increase was significant for
both sexes, but more pronounced among men. It was concentrated
primarily among young adults (aged 25-44 years) and among older
children (aged 5-14 years), and most of it was considered to be
attributable to AIDS and related infections, tuberculosis in
particular. When data were cumulated from 1986 to 1992, approximately
25,000 persons were estimated to have died of
AIDS."
Correspondence: M. L. Garenne, Centre
Français sur la Population et le Développement, 15 rue de
l'Ecole de Médecine, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30219 Grodstein, Francine; Stampfer, Meir
J.; Colditz, Graham A.; Willett, Walter C.; Manson, JoAnn E.; Joffe,
Marshall; Rosner, Bernard; Fuchs, Charles; Hankinson, Susan E.; Hunter,
David J.; Hennekens, Charles H.; Speizer, Frank E.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy and mortality. New England
Journal of Medicine, Vol. 336, No. 25, Jun 19, 1997. 1,769-75 pp.
Boston, Massachusetts. In Eng.
"We examined the relation
between the use of postmenopausal hormones and mortality among
participants in the Nurses' Health Study, who were 30 to 55 years of
age at base line in 1976. Data were collected by biennial
questionnaires beginning in 1976 and continuing through 1992....After
adjustment for confounding variables, current hormone users had a lower
risk of death...than subjects who had never taken hormones; however,
the apparent benefit decreased with long-term use...because of an
increase in mortality from breast cancer among long-term hormone users.
Current hormone users with coronary risk factors...had the largest
reduction in mortality...with substantially less benefit for those at
low risk....On average, mortality among women who use postmenopausal
hormones is lower than among nonusers; however, the survival benefit
diminishes with longer duration of use and is lower for women at low
risk for coronary disease."
Correspondence: F.
Grodstein, Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.
Location: Princeton University Library (SZ).
63:30220 Harrison, Kelsey A.
Maternal mortality in Nigeria: the real issues. African
Journal of Reproductive Health, Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar 1997. 7-13 pp. Benin
City, Nigeria. In Eng.
"High maternal mortality in Nigeria,
estimated to be 1,000 per 100,000 births, will not go away as long as
three fundamental issues prevail: mass poverty with gross inequalities,
unbooked emergencies, and illiteracy, which bestrides and underlies
both. Here, the focus is on the first two factors, as well as on
structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) which, together with rampant
corruption, constitute a major aggravator of
poverty."
Correspondence: K. A. Harrison, University
of Port Harcourt, Obstetrics and Gynæcology, PMB 5323, Port
Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30221 Heck, Katherine E.; Wagener, Diane
K.; Schatzkin, Arthur; Devesa, Susan S.; Breen, Nancy.
Socioeconomic status and breast cancer mortality, 1989 through
1993: an analysis of education data from death certificates.
American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 87, No. 7, Jul 1997. 1,218-22
pp. Washington, D.C. In Eng.
"This study examined whether more
highly educated women were at greater risk of dying of breast cancer
[in the United States] during 1989 through 1993. Breast cancer
mortality rates were calculated through death certificates and Current
Population Survey data. Breast cancer mortality rates were highest
among women with 12 and with 16 or more years of education.
Non-Hispanic Black women had the highest mortality rates and Asian
women the lowest. Positive relationships between mortality and
education were found for Hispanic women as well as non-Hispanic Black
and Asian women. The previously seen positive relationship between
breast cancer mortality and education was found among U.S. women of
color but not non-Hispanic White women."
Correspondence:
K. E. Heck, National Center for Health Statistics, 6525 Belcrest
Road, Room 730, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Location: Princeton
University Library (SZ).
63:30222 Hong Kong. Census and Statistics
Department (Hong Kong). Mortality and morbidity of heart
diseases in Hong Kong, 1971-1994. Hong Kong Monthly Digest of
Statistics, Feb 1997. 1-15 pp. Hong Kong. In Eng; Chi.
This the
second of two feature articles at the end of this issue. "In Hong
Kong, heart diseases have been the second leading cause of death, after
cancer, since the 1960s....The purpose of this article is to examine
the trends of mortality and morbidity of heart diseases in Hong Kong
from 1971 to 1994. Age and sex differentials of deaths due to heart
diseases are also analysed....In general, the number of deaths due to
heart diseases increased with age for either sex and males were more
vulnerable to heart diseases than females. The age-specific death rates
of either sex were quite stable over time and no increasing trend was
observed. Compared with the crude death rate due to heart diseases, the
standardized death rate showed a marked downward trend. These suggest
that the increase in deaths due to heart diseases was mainly due to the
ageing population."
Correspondence: Census and
Statistics Department, 19/F Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai,
Hong Kong. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30223 Izsák, János.
Analyzing changes in cause-specific mortality by age using
dissimilarity indices. [A haláloki struktúra
változásainak vizsgálata disszimilaritási
indexekkel.] Statisztikai Szemle, Vol. 75, No. 2, Feb 1997. 130-40 pp.
Budapest, Hungary. In Hun. with sum. in Eng.
"Cause of death
structure exhibits considerable changes with age. Calculating
dissimilarity indices for pairs of five year age groups of cause of
death statistics, we obtained a picture on the age dependence of the
scalarized structural changes. Some dissimilarity measures accentuate
mainly the differences between case numbers in the range of dominant
causes of death. Others are sensitive also to changes in smaller
frequencies....We performed calculations on causes of death statistics
of some European countries."
Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30224 Kao, Senyeong; Chen, Li-Mei; Shi,
Leiyu; Weinrich, Martin C.; Miller, C. Arden. Maternal
mortality in Taiwan: rates and trends. International Family
Planning Perspectives, Vol. 23, No. 1, Mar 1997. 34-5, 38 pp. New York,
New York. In Eng. with sum. in Fre; Spa.
"The development of a
strategy for collection of accurate data on maternal deaths featured an
interview census of families of women of reproductive age who died in
Taiwan during 1984-1988. The census found 101 maternal deaths in
addition to the 173 deaths identified as such in vital statistics
records. The maternal mortality rate for the five-year period was 16.4
deaths per 100,000 live births, which is 58% higher than the official
rate of 10.3 per 100,000. Taiwan's maternal mortality rate, which was
20.3 deaths per 100,000 in 1984, declined by 20% over the period
studied."
Correspondence: S. Kao, National Defense
Medical Center, School of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30225 Koonin, Lisa M.; MacKay, Andrea P.;
Berg, Cynthia J.; Atrash, Hani K.; Smith, Jack C.
Pregnancy-related mortality surveillance--United States,
1987-1990. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 46, No.
SS-4, Aug 8, 1997. 17-36 pp. Atlanta, Georgia. In Eng.
"This
report summarizes surveillance data for pregnancy-related deaths in the
United States for 1987-1990....During 1987-1990, 1,459 deaths were
determined to be pregnancy-related. The overall pregnancy-related
mortality ratio was 9.2 deaths per 100,000 live births. The
pregnancy-related mortality ratio for black women was consistently
higher than for white women for every risk factor examined by
race....Older women, particularly women aged [35 years or over], were
at increased risk of pregnancy-related death. The gestational
age-adjusted risk for pregnancy-related death was 7.7 times higher for
women who received no prenatal care than for women who received
`adequate' prenatal care."
Correspondence: L. M.
Koonin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of
Reproductive Health (C06), Atlanta, GA 30333. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30226 Kravdal, Øystein.
The attractiveness of an additive hazard model: an example from
medical demography. European Journal of Population/Revue
Européenne de Démographie, Vol. 13, No. 1, Mar 1997.
33-47 pp. Dordrecht, Netherlands. In Eng. with sum. in Fre.
"With the intention of studying sociodemographic differentials
in the elevated mortality from cancer, a mixed additive-multiplicative
continuous-time hazard model with categorical covariates is suggested.
This model is a simple and plausible extension of the multiplicative
hazard model demographers are well acquainted with. As an empirical
example, survival from prostate cancer among Norwegian men is examined
on the basis of individual register and census data. The model has some
advantages compared to the models based on an additive mortality
structure that have previously been used in studies of cancer survival.
In other demographic research areas, it could be an interesting
alternative to the commonly employed multiplicative hazard
model."
Correspondence: Ø. Kravdal, University
of Oslo, Department of Economics, P.B. 1095, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30227 Le Bacq, F.; Rietsema, A.
High maternal mortality levels and additional risk from poor
accessibility in two districts of Northern Province, Zambia.
International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No. 2, Apr 1997. 357-63
pp. Oxford, England. In Eng.
"Maternal mortality ratios in
Kasama and Kaputa Districts, two remote rural areas of Northern
Province, Zambia, were suspected to be very high. In order to evaluate
the impact of a referral system baseline maternal mortality levels and
additional maternal mortality risk arising from poor accessibility were
estimated....The sisterhood method was applied to a random population
sample of 3,123 respondents in Kasama District and to 2,953 in Kaputa
District during May and June 1995....This study suggests that solving
the accessibility problem would decrease the mortality burden from
maternal causes with at least 29% in Kasama District and 65% in Kaputa
District."
Correspondence: F. Le Bacq, Kasama District
Health Services, P.O. Box 410056, Kasama, Zambia. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30228 Lee, John A. H.
Declining effect of latitude on melanoma mortality rates in the
United States: a preliminary study. American Journal of
Epidemiology, Vol. 146, No. 5, Sep 1, 1997. 413-7 pp. Baltimore,
Maryland. In Eng.
"The gradient of mortality from melanoma of
the skin with latitude among U.S. whites was estimated from the slopes
of semilogarithmic models fitted to the state-specific mortality rates
and the latitudes of the states' capital cities. The upward gradient of
mortality from north to south for malignant melanoma of the skin has
been decreasing since 1950-1959, when data first became available,
through 1960-1969, 1970-1979, and 1988-1992. By the early years of the
21st century, rates of melanoma mortality in the contiguous United
States are expected to be unaffected by
latitude."
Correspondence: J. A. H. Lee, Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, MP474,
Seattle, WA 98109-1024. Location: Princeton University Library
(SZ).
63:30229 Maheswaran, Ravi; Elliott, Paul;
Strachan, David P. Socioeconomic deprivation, ethnicity,
and stroke mortality in Greater London and south east England.
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 51, No. 2, Apr 1997.
127-31 pp. London, England. In Eng.
The authors "examine
geographical variation in stroke mortality in Greater London compared
with the surrounding South East Region of England....In the 45-54 years
age band, stroke mortality rate ratios (95% confidence intervals)
relative to the surrounding south east were 2.09 (1.81, 2.4) for Inner
London and 1.31 (1.15,1.5) for Outer London for men and 1.64 (1.4,1.93)
and 1.13 (0.98,1.31) respectively for women. This gradient diminished
and reversed with increasing age....Carstairs deprivation index and the
percentages of Afro-Caribbean men and women and Irish born men were
significantly and positively correlated with stroke mortality at the
ward level. The Carstairs effect diminished with increasing age.
Adjustment for these variables diminished or abolished the higher
stroke mortality risks in London for younger people but had little
effect on the lower risks for older
Londoners."
Correspondence: R. Maheswaran, Imperial
College School of Medicine at Saint Mary's, Department of Epidemiology
and Public Health, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30230 Maheswaran, Ravi; Strachan, David P.;
Elliott, Paul; Shipley, Martin J. Trends in stroke
mortality in Greater London and south east England--evidence for a
cohort effect? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol.
51, No. 2, Apr 1997. 121-6 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"In
1951, stroke mortality was lower in Greater London than the surrounding
South East Region in all age bands over 45. It has been declining in
both areas but the rate of decline has been significantly slower in
Greater London (p<0.0001). The differences in rates of decline were
such that stroke mortality is now higher in Greater London for people
under 75. The crossover of age specific stroke mortality rates occurred
at different periods in different age bands and is consistent with a
cohort effect, with similar rates in Greater London and the surrounding
south east for men and women born around 1916-21. This cohort effect
does not appear to be consistent with past maternal and neonatal
mortality rates in these areas, nor, within the limitations of the
data, with the ethnic composition of
cohorts."
Correspondence: R. Maheswaran, Imperial
College School of Medicine at Saint Mary's, Department of Epidemiology
and Public Health, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30231 Nicholson, K. G. Impact
of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus on mortality in England
and Wales from January 1975 to December 1990. Epidemiology and
Infection, Vol. 116, No. 1, 1996. 51-63 pp. Cambridge, England. In Eng.
"The effects of influenza A and B and RSV [respiratory
syncytial virus] on mortality in England and Wales were assessed by
regression analysis for the period 1975-90....Deaths correlated
strongly with influenza A and B reports, temperature, and interactions
between aggregated URTI [upper respiratory tract infections] and
temperature, and RSV outbreaks and temperature....Estimated excess
mortality associated with influenza was considerable even during years
without major epidemics. Overall during the 15 winters the estimated
mortality associated with RSV was 60-80% more than that associated with
influenza."
Correspondence: K. G. Nicholson, Leicester
University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Leicester LE1
9HN, England. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30232 Peto, Richard; Lopez, Alan D.;
Boreham, Jillian; Thun, Michael; Heath, Clark. Mortality
from smoking in developed countries, 1950-2000: indirect estimates from
national vital statistics. ISBN 0-19-262619-1. 1994. 103, 553 pp.
Oxford University Press: New York, New York/Oxford, England. In Eng.
"For each major developed country, and for various groups of
such countries, tables and graphs are provided that describe the extent
to which smoking is now causing death in middle age and in old age. The
chief purpose of this book is to facilitate effective communication,
first to the reader and then by the reader, of the extraordinary
magnitude of the number of deaths that smoking is now causing. In
developed countries alone, the habit is currently responsible for about
two million deaths a year, about half of which are deaths in middle
age. There is, however, wide variation between one developed country
and another in the current death rates from smoking, and in the trends
in those death rates."
Correspondence: Oxford
University Press, Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, England. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30233 Pickle, Linda W.; Mungiole, Michael;
Jones, Gretchen K.; White, Andrew A. Atlas of United
States mortality. Pub. Order No. DHHS (PHS) 97-1015-P. ISBN
0-8406-0521-8. LC 96-45521. Dec 1996. vii, 209 pp. U.S. National Center
for Health Statistics [NCHS]: Hyattsville, Maryland. In Eng.
"This monograph presents maps of the leading causes of death
in the United States for the period 1988-92....In this atlas,
information previously available only in tabular form or summarized on
a single map is presented on multiple maps and graphs. Broad geographic
patterns by age group are highlighted by application of a new smoothing
algorithm, and the geographic unit for mapping is defined on the basis
of patterns of health care. These new features allow the public health
researcher to examine the data at several geographic levels--to read an
approximate rate for an area, to discern clusters of similar-rate
areas, to visualize broad geographic patterns, and to compare regional
rates." Separate maps are included showing mortality from all the
leading causes of death by sex and race.
Correspondence:
U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 6525 Belcrest Road,
Hyattsville, MD 20782. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30234 Porras Gallo, M. Isabel.
Repercussions of the influenza pandemic in 1918-1919 on mortality
in Madrid. [Las repercusiones de la pandemia de gripe de 1918-19
en la mortalidad de la ciudad de Madrid.] Boletín de la
Asociación de Demografía Histórica, Vol. 14, No.
1, 1996. 75-116 pp. Bellaterra, Spain. In Spa.
The author analyzes
variations in general mortality and specific causes of death, as well
as differences by age and sex, during 1918 and 1919 in Madrid, Spain.
Mortality rates due to influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis, and
tuberculosis are examined, and the impact of the influenza epidemic is
assessed.
Correspondence: M. I. Porras Gallo, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Unidad de Historia de la Medicina, 28040 Madrid,
Spain. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30235 Rosso, Stefano; Faggiano, Fabrizio;
Zanetti, Roberto; Costa, Giuseppe. Social class and cancer
survival in Turin, Italy. Journal of Epidemiology and Community
Health, Vol. 51, No. 1, Feb 1997. 30-4 pp. London, England. In Eng.
"This study aimed to investigate social differences in cancer
survival in residents of Turin, Italy....The relative risk of dying,
compared with people who had only primary school education, decreased
from 0.91 for those with middle school education to 0.67 for those who
held a university degree....There were major differences in cancer
survival showing a poorer outcome for those from the lower social
stratum, particularly in sites for which effective treatments are
available. Since it is unlikely that the observed differences could be
totally explained by extraneous factors, such as competing mortality,
it is concluded that even in a country where the health system offers
universal coverage, non-financial barriers act by creating differences
in opportunities for better care."
Correspondence: S.
Rosso, Registro Tumori Piemonte, Via San Franseco da Paola 31, 10123
Turin, Italy. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30236 Stanecki, Karen A.; Way, Peter
O. The demographic impact of HIV/AIDS. Perspectives from
the world population profile: 1996. IPC Staff Paper, No. 86, Mar
1997. ix, 43 pp. U.S. Bureau of the Census, International Programs
Center: Washington, D.C. In Eng.
This report presents estimates and
projections of AIDS mortality worldwide and of the demographic impact
of HIV/AIDS trends. Graphs provide regional information on crude death
rates, infant and child mortality rates, population growth rates, life
expectancy, and HIV seroprevalence.
Correspondence: U.S.
Bureau of the Census, International Programs Center, Population
Division, Washington, D.C. 20233. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30237 Stojiljkovic, Dejan; Pekmezovic,
Tanja; Jarebinski, Mirjana. Malignant neoplasms of the
respiratory tract in Belgrade, 1980-1993. [Smrtnost od malignih
tumora respiratornog trakta u populaciji beograda, 1980-1993.]
Stanovnistvo, Vol. 34, No. 3-4, Jul-Dec 1996. 83-97 pp. Belgrade,
Yugoslavia. In Slv. with sum. in Eng.
"The aim of this study
is to appraise [the] importance of lung and laryngeal neoplasms as the
most frequent among the respiratory tract neoplasms. Malignant
neoplasms are the second death cause just after...cardiovascular
diseases....Among men, the most frequent was lung cancer....Among
women, lung cancer was [in] second place, just after...breast
cancer."
Correspondence: D. Stojiljkovic, Univerzitet
u Beogradu, Institut za epidemiologiju Medicinskog fakulteta, 11001
Belgrade 6, Yugoslavia. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30238 Switzerland. Bundesamt für
Statistik (Bern, Switzerland). Statistics on causes of
death, 1994 tables. [Todesursachenstatistik, Tabellen
1994/Statistique des causes de décès, tableaux
1994/Statistica delle cause di morte, tabelle 1994.] Statistik der
Schweiz, ISBN 3-303-14030-8. 1995. 83 pp. Bern, Switzerland. In Ger;
Fre; Ita.
Data are presented on the 61,987 deaths that occurred in
Switzerland in 1994 by age, sex, and cause of
death.
Correspondence: Bundesamt für Statistik,
Hallwylstrasse 15, 3003 Bern, Switzerland. Location: Princeton
University Library (SPR).
63:30239 Tarone, Robert E.; Chu, Kenneth C.;
Gaudette, Leslie A. Birth cohort and calendar period
trends in breast cancer mortality in the United States and Canada.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 89, No. 3, Feb 5, 1997.
251-6 pp. Bethesda, Maryland. In Eng.
"Breast cancer mortality
rates from 1969 through 1992 for white women and black women in four
regions of the United States and for all women throughout Canada were
compared to identify racial, regional, and temporal differences.
Differences and trends in the rates were evaluated in view of breast
cancer risk factors and relevant medical interventions....Breast cancer
mortality rates for white women were significantly higher in the
Northeast than in any other region of the United States...; the rates
for black women were not....Looking at temporal effects, we found that
the slope of the mortality calendar period trend increased in the 1980s
compared with the 1970s for all women. In the last calendar period,
1991-1992, a trend of decreasing mortality rates was found for white
women in the United States and for Canadian
women."
Correspondence: R. E. Tarone, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Executive
Plaza North, Room 403, Bethesda, MD 20892-7368. Location:
Princeton University Library (SPR).
63:30240 United States. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention [CDC] (Atlanta, Georgia).
Smoking-attributable mortality and years of potential life
lost--United States, 1984. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
Vol. 46, No. 20, May 23, 1997. 444-51 pp. Atlanta, Georgia. In Eng.
"Smoking-attributable mortality and years of potential life
lost (YPLL) [in the United States] for 1984 are analyzed in this
report....An estimated 315,120 deaths and 949,924 YPLL before age 65
years resulted from cigarette smoking in 1984....The
smoking-attributable mortality rate among men is more than twice the
rate among women, and the rate among blacks is 20% higher than the rate
among whites....The smoking-attributable YPLL rate among men is more
than twice the rate among women, and the rate among blacks is more than
twice the rate among whites...."
Correspondence:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road,
Atlanta, GA 30333. Location: Princeton University Library
(SPR).
63:30241 Zahl, Per-Henrik; Tretli,
Steinar. Long-term survival of breast cancer in Norway by
age and clinical stage. Statistics in Medicine, Vol. 16, No. 13,
Jul 15, 1997. 1,435-49 pp. Chichester, England. In Eng.
"In
this paper 25-year survival for 8,802 Norwegian women with breast
cancer diagnosed during the period 1965-1974 is studied. It is
suggested that some of the contradictory reports in the literature of
the prognostic effect of age and clinical stage on long-term survival
may be caused by interactions and time varying effects of covariates.
When using a linear non-parametric regression model that allows the
covariates to vary over time, age and clinical stage are found to be
significant long-term prognostic factors. A significantly higher excess
mortality for women less than 35 years at diagnosis disappeared after 8
years, while for those above 55 years an important effect of age on the
long-term survival, especially for those with regional cancer, was
seen. The effect of clinical stage on survival varies strongly over
time, and was significant between 15 and 20
years."
Correspondence: P.-H. Zahl, University of
Oslo, Section of Medical Statistics, P.O. Box 1122, Blindern, 0317
Oslo, Norway. Location: Princeton University Library (SPR).
