Structure and Change in Causes of Death: An International Summary

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Citation: Preston, Samuel H. (1976) Structure and Change in Causes of Death: An International Summary.
Internet Archive Scholar (search for fulltext): Structure and Change in Causes of Death: An International Summary
Tagged: uw-madison (RSS), wisconsin (RSS), sociology (RSS), demography (RSS), prelim (RSS), qual (RSS), WisconsinDemographyPrelimAugust2009 (RSS), causes of death (RSS)

Summary

Notes: The purpose of the chapter is to establish a model of the cause structure of mortality at various levels of mortality from all causes combined, to use the model to make statements about typical patterns of mortality change, and to identify and interpret regional and temporal differences in the cause structure of mortality. During the 20th century, the cause of death contributing to the largest decline in mortality is influenza/pneumonia/bronchitis, which accounts for about 25% of mortality change. Of course, it contributes more to mortality decline in countries that started the century with higher levels of mortality and less in places with lower mortality. Other non-specified infectious and parasitic diseases account for about 15% of mortality decline, while respiratory TB and diarrheal diseases account for about 10% each. Most of the rest of the decline is due to other and unknown causes. However, these unknown causes might in fact be related to cardiovascular disease. Poor coding and diagnostic practices might have led this cause to be understated. Differences in habits of life, personal health practices, climate, and economic level probably account for observed regional differences in the cause structure of mortality at a particular level. Non-Western and Southern/Eastern European populations share unusually high death rates from diarrheal disease even when compared to Western populations with similar mortality levels. Oversea European populations experience high death rates from cardiovascular diseases and violence, especially among males particularly related to automobile accidents in more recent years. Northern/Western European populations display higher than expected death rates from respiratory TB and from influenza/pneumonia/bronchitis. Other infectious and parasitic diseases (of childhood) do not display significant regional variations. Accelerated rates of medical progress against specific infectious diseases have made them contribute less and less to a particular level of mortality. The changes in the prevalence of these diseases are not confined to the postwar period or to non-Western populations. In contrast, diarrheal diseases have gained prominence in mortality structures over time, particularly in non-Western populations.