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PubMed1999

Association of lipids and lipoprotein level with total mortality and mortality caused by cardiovascular and cancer diseases (Poland and United States collaborative study on cardiovascular epidemiology).

This study evaluates the relation between total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and subsequent total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. These data are from 4,946 US and 5,198 Polish men and women aged 35 to 64 years at baseline with mortality follow-up over 13 years. Total cholesterol showed a U-shaped or J-shaped relation to age-adjusted total and cancer mortality across all samples, with significance only in Polish women. The multivariable adjusted relative risk for total and cancer mortality was higher in the lowest cholesterol category only in Poland and significant only for cancer. Cardiovascular mortality was positively related to cholesterol, but only in Polish men and US women was mortality significantly higher in the highest versus the lowest cholesterol category. The multivariable adjusted relative risk of cardiovascular death was greater in the highest versus the lowest cholesterol category, but this trend was significant only in the US. HDL cholesterol was inversely related to total (significant only in US men) and cardiovascular mortality (significant only in US and Polish men). A similar, but not significant, association of HDL cholesterol was found with cancer mortality. The multivariable adjusted relative risk of total mortality was inversely related to HDL cholesterol significant in both the US and Poland. The relative risk of cardiovascular mortality was significantly lower at higher HDL cholesterol levels in all samples. The relative risk of cancer mortality was highest and significant at the lowest HDL cholesterol level in the US and Poland. Elevated triglycerides were associated with increased risk of total and cardiovascular mortality, but this trend was significant only in the US. Cancer mortality was not significantly related to triglycerides. The present study indicates that in geographically and culturally diverse populations, the relation of lipids with cardiovascular mortality is similar. The relation with total and cancer mortality varies by country, gender, and lipids. This suggests that relations of total and cancer mortality with lipids or lipoproteins are weaker than associations with cardiovascular mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Socioeconomic mortality inequality in Korea: mortality follow-up of the 1998 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data].

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the relationships of the several socioeconomic position indicators with the mortality risk in a representative longitudinal study of South Korea. METHODS: The 1998 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was conducted on a cross-sectional probability sample of South Korean households, and it contained unique 13-digit personal identification numbers that were linked to the data on mortality from the National Statistical Office of Korea. Of 5,607 males and females, 264 died between 1999 and 2003. Cox's regression was used to estimate the relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of mortality. RESULTS: Socioeconomic differences in mortality were observed after adjustments were made for gender and age. Compared with those people having college or higher education, those people without any formal education had a greater mortality risk (RR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.12-4.40). The mortality risk among manual workers was significantly greater than that for the non-manual workers (RR = 2.73, 95% CI = 1.47-5.06). A non-standard employment status was also associated with an increase in mortality: temporary or daily workers had a greater mortality risk than did the full-time workers (RR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.50-6.03). The mortality risk for the low occupational class was 3.06 times greater than that of the high and middle occupational classes (95% Cl = 1.75-5.36). In addition, graded mortality differences according to equivalized monthly household income were found. A reduction of monthly household income by 500 thousand Korean Won (about 400 US dollars) was related with a 20% excess risk of mortality. Self-reported poor living standards were also associated with an increased risk of mortality. Those without health insurance had a 3.63 times greater risk of mortality than the insured (95% CI = 1.61-8.19). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the socioeconomic differentials in mortality in a national longitudinal study of South Korea. The existence of socioeconomic mortality inequalities requires increased social discussion on social policies in Korean society. Furthermore, the mechanisms for the socioeconomic inequalities of mortality need to be explored in future studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The Australian mortality decline: cause-specific mortality 1907-1990.

This review describes the changes in composition of mortality by major attributed cause during the Australian mortality decline this century. The principal categories employed were: infectious diseases, nonrheumatic cardiovascular disease, external causes, cancer, 'other' causes and ill-defined conditions. The data were age-adjusted. Besides registration problems (which also affect all-cause mortality) artefacts due to changes in diagnostic designation and coding are evident. The most obvious trends over the period are the decline in infectious disease mortality (half the decline 1907-1990 occurs before 1949), and the epidemic of circulatory disease mortality which appears to commence around 1930, peaks during the 1950s and 1960s, and declines from 1970 to 1990 (to a rate half that at the peak). Mortality for cancer remains static for females after 1907, but increases steadily for males, reaching a plateau in the mid-1980s (owing to trends in lung cancer); trends in cancers of individual sites are diverse. External cause mortality declines after 1970. The decline in total mortality to 1930 is associated with decline in infection and 'other' causes. Stagnation of mortality decline in 1930-1940 and 1946-1970 for males is a consequence of contemporaneous movements in opposite directions of infection mortality (decrease) and circulatory disease and cancer mortality (increase). In females, declines in infections and 'other' causes of death exceed the increase in circulatory disease mortality until 1960, then stability in all major causes of death to 1970. The overall mortality decline since 1970 is a consequence of a reduction in circulatory disease, 'other' cause, external cause and infection mortality, despite the increase in cancer mortality (for males).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Studies of the mortality of A-bomb survivors. 9. Mortality, 1950-1985: Part 1. Comparison of risk coefficients for site-specific cancer mortality based on the DS86 and T65DR shielded kerma and organ doses.

As a result of the reassessment of the A-bomb dosimetry, new (DS86) doses were calculated in 1986. In this paper, site-specific estimates of cancer mortality in the years 1950-1985, based on these new doses, are compared with those using the T65DR doses. The subjects of the study are 75,991 members of the Life Span Study sample for whom DS86 doses have been calculated. This reevaluation of the exposures does not change the list of radiation-related cancers. Most differences in dose response between Hiroshima and Nagasaki are no longer significant with the DS86 doses. The dose-response curve is closer to linear with the DS86 than the T65DR doses even for leukemia in the entire dose range, though, statistically, many other models cannot be excluded. However, in the low-dose range, the risk of leukemia remains nonlinear. Assuming a linear model at an RBE of 1, and using organ-absorbed doses, the risk coefficients derived from the two dosimetries are very similar, whereas those based on shielded kerma are about 40% higher with the new dosimetry. If RBE values larger than 1 are assumed, the disparity between the two dosimetries increases because the neutron dose is much greater in the T65DR. At an RBE of 10, for the five specific cancers, i.e., female breast, colon, leukemia, lung, and stomach, the increase in excess number of deaths per 10(4) PYSv under the DS86 varies from 12% (colon) to 133% (female breast). The magnitude of the effects of such modifiers of radiation-induced cancer as age at time of bomb and sex do not differ between the two dose systems.

Female↗
PubMed2004

Mortality and displaced mortality during heat waves in the Czech Republic.

The aims of this study were to assess impacts of hot summer periods on mortality in the Czech Republic and to quantify the size of the short-term displacement effect which resulted in lower than expected mortality after heat waves. The analysis covered the period 1982-2000 when several extraordinarily hot summers occurred in central Europe. Daily total all-cause mortality and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the entire population of the Czech Republic (approximately 10 million inhabitants) were examined. The daily death counts were standardized to account for the long-term decline in mortality and the seasonal and weekly cycles. Heat-related mortality is better expressed if 1-day lag after temperature is considered compared to the unlagged relationship. With the 1-day lag, both excess total mortality and excess CVD mortality were positive during all 17 heat waves, and in 14 (12) heat waves the increase in total (CVD) mortality was statistically significant ( P=0.05). The mean relative rise in total mortality during heat waves was 13%. The response was greater in females than males and similar regardless of whether total or CVD mortality was used. The largest relative increases, exceeding 20% in both total and CVD mortality, were associated with heat waves which occurred in early summer (the first half of July 1984 and June 1994). The mortality displacement effect played an important role since mortality tended to be lower than expected after hot periods. The mean net mortality change due to heat waves was estimated to be about a 1% increase in the number of deaths. The large relative increases during some heat waves were particularly noteworthy since the study (in contrast to most analyses of the heat stress/mortality relationship) was not restricted to an urban area and/or an elderly population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Unlocking the numerator-denominator bias. II: Adjustments to mortality rates by ethnicity and deprivation during 1991-94. The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study.

AIMS: Maori and Pacific mortality rates are underestimated due to different recording of ethnicity between mortality and census data--the so-called numerator-denominator bias. Ethnicity and deprivation are strongly associated with mortality in New Zealand, but it is unclear what are the independent and overlapping effects of each on health. The objectives of this study were first, to determine the effect of adjusting for numerator-denominator bias on ethnic-specific age-standardised all-cause mortality rates among 0-74 year olds during 1991-94: second, to determine the effect of adjusting for numerator-denominator bias on analyses of the independent associations of ethnic group and small area deprivation with all-cause mortality in New Zealand. METHODS: Direct standardisation methods were used to calculate rates of mortality by ethnic and small area deprivation groupings. RESULTS: Unadjusted for numerator-denominator bias, Maori had a 70% and 101% higher standardised mortality rate than non-Maori non-Pacific for males and females, respectively. Adjusting for numerator-denominator bias, the excess Maori mortality burden increased to 126% and 158%. For Pacific people, excess mortality increased from -5% and -13% (ie apparently lower mortality rates) to 58% and 54% after adjustment, for males and females respectively. Using data adjusted for numerator-denominator bias, about a third of the Maori to non-Maori non-Pacific disparity in mortality among 0-54 year olds was explained by small area deprivation. Conversely, about a quarter of the mortality gradient by deprivation in New Zealand was explained by ethnic group. CONCLUSIONS: Numerator-denominator bias causes a marked underestimate of the ethnic disparities in mortality in New Zealand for the 1991-4 period, both overall and within strata of deprivation. The distribution of small area deprivation by ethnicity explains some of the ethnic disparities in mortality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The Australian mortality decline: all-cause mortality 1788-1990.

This review describes the Australian decline in all-cause mortality, 1788-1990, and compares this with declines in Europe and North America. The period until the 1870s shows characteristic 'crisis mortality', attributable to epidemics of infectious disease. A decline in overall mortality is evident from 1880. A precipitous fall occurs in infant mortality from 1900, similar to that in European countries. Infant mortality continues downward during this century (except during the 1930s), with periods of accelerated decline during the 1940s (antibiotics) and early 1970s. Maternal mortality remains high until a precipitous fall in 1937 coinciding with the arrival of sulphonamide. Excess mortality due to the 1919 influenza epidemic is evident. Artefactual falls in mortality occur in 1930, and for men during the war of 1939-1945. Stagnation in overall mortality decline during the 1930s and 1945-1970 is evident for adult males, and during 1960-1970 for adult females. A decline in mortality is registered in both sexes from 1970, particularly in middle and older age groups, with narrowing of the sex differential. The mortality decline in Australia is broadly similar to those of the United Kingdom and several European countries, although an Australian advantage during last century and the first part of this century may have been due to less industrialisation, lower population density and better nutrition. Australia shows no war-related interruptions in the mortality decline. Australian mortality patterns from 1970 are also similar to those observed in North America and European countries (including the United Kingdom, but excluding Eastern Europe.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Mortality and cancer morbidity in workers from an aluminium smelter with prebaked carbon anodes--Part III: Mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between exposure to pot emissions (fluorides, sulphur dioxide) and mortality from chronic obstructive lung disease, coal tar pitch volatiles and mortality from diseases related to atherosclerosis, and carbon monoxide and mortality from ischaemic heart disease. METHODS: Mortality between 1962 to 1991 was investigated in a cohort of 1085 men hired by a Norwegian aluminium smelter between 1922 and 1975. Associations between cumulative exposure and mortality were investigated through SMR analysis based on national mortality rates; temporal relations were explored by considering exposures only within specific time windows. Circulatory mortality was also investigated by Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 501 deaths v 471.3 expected in the cohort. The excess was confined to short term workers and did not seem to be associated with exposures in the smelter. Analysis of mortality among the 661 men with at least three years employment showed associations between cumulative exposure to tar 40 years before observation and atherosclerotic mortality (P = 0.03), and between exposure to pot emissions 20-39 years before observation and mortality from chronic obstructive lung disease (P = 0.06). No association was found between exposure to carbon monoxide and mortality from ischaemic heart disease, but cerebrovascular mortality was associated with exposure to pot emissions (P = 0.02). Results for atherosclerotic and cerebrovascular diseases were confirmed through Poisson regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The data support previous findings of increased mortality from ischaemic heart disease in workers exposed to tar, and some support is also provided for earlier reports of increased respiratory mortality in potroom workers.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Ten-year trends in all-cause mortality and coronary heart disease mortality in socio-economically diverse neighbourhoods.

OBJECTIVE: Although all-cause mortality and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality is declining in Sweden, as in most other countries in the industrialised world, we have limited information about the distribution and trends of mortality in deprived and affluent neighbourhoods. DESIGN: This study analyses the extent to which the decline in all-cause mortality and CHD mortality (over the age range 25-74 y) differs between affluent and deprived neighbourhoods during the decade 1984-1993. Incidence density ratios (IDR), estimated by Poisson regression, were calculated for small areas, grouped into population deciles, by both the care need index (CNI) and the Townsend deprivation score. On average, there were about 14 500 residents and 560 deaths in each decile over the period. SETTING: A large Swedish city. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause mortality and mortality from CHD. RESULTS: The most deprived neighbourhoods had the highest IDR for all-cause mortality and CHD mortality. Over the period from 1984-1988 to 1989-1993 there was an overall decrease in all-cause mortality and CHD mortality, which was significantly higher in the most affluent areas. The mortality ratios for the most deprived neighbourhoods were almost three times higher than those of the most affluent areas. CONCLUSIONS: People liviing in more affluent neighbourhoods have had the benefit of most of the last decade's decline in CHD mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Pancreatic cancer mortality in Egypt: comparison to the United States pancreatic cancer mortality rates.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the descriptive epidemiology of pancreatic cancer in many developing countries, such as Egypt. It is believed to be rare in developing countries, but this may reflect lack of systematic cancer registration. Mortality may serve as a surrogate for incidence, since the disease is lethal. Because of availability of reliable mortality registration in Egypt, we used the national mortality data to estimate pancreatic cancer mortality in 2765 deaths from 2000 to 2004, and to gain insights into the disease incidence. METHODS: Mortality data in Egypt was obtained from the electronic national mortality records of the Ministry of Health. We calculated population-based age-specific and age-standardized pancreatic cancer mortality rates for Egypt, and compared them with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) mortality data of the United States. RESULTS: Comparisons of age-specific mortality demonstrated higher rates in Egypt compared to the United States for subjects under age 20 years (relative risks (RR) of 7.7 and 4.2, for the age groups 0-15 and 15-20, respectively), and significantly higher rates in the United States compared to Egypt for subjects 40 years and older (RR 1.8-80.5 for the age groups of 40-45 to 75+). For the majority of age groups in Egypt and the United States, mortality in males was higher than in females. Analysis of regional distribution of pancreatic cancer mortality in Egypt showed significant variations in rates among provinces (p<0.0001) with Northern provinces having average rate that is 2.85 times the rate of Southern provinces. The highest mortality rates were observed in the Nile Delta compared to southern Egypt and the oasis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrate both international and regional variation in pancreatic cancer mortality, and highlight the importance of further investigation to explore the possible factors that may contribute to the observed epidemiological patterns.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The association between mortality from ischaemic heart disease and mortality from leading chronic diseases.

AIMS: Coronary risk factors raise the risk of other chronic disorders. We therefore tested the hypothesis that the geographic distribution of ischaemic heart disease mortality is associated with that of other chronic diseases with which it shares risk factors. METHODS AND RESULTS: For the 50 provinces of Spain, we collected mortality data for the period 1980-1995 from the national vital statistics. We calculated age-adjusted mortality rates for the leading causes of death in quintiles of provincial distribution of ischaemic heart disease mortality, and correlation coefficients with respect to provincial ischaemic heart disease mortality. As expected, because they share risk factors with ischaemic heart disease, mortality from cerebrovascular disease, malignant tumours, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diseases of the digestive system, cirrhosis of the liver and all causes, increase with the rise from lower to higher quintiles of ischaemic heart disease mortality. Ischaemic heart disease mortality registered correlations over 0.5 (P<0.001) with mortality from many of the above diseases in the periods 1980-1984 and 1991-1995. Expectations were similarly borne out for disorders not sharing risk factors with ischaemic heart disease, in that mortality from prostate and breast cancer, injury and poisoning, traffic accidents and ill-defined causes in most cases did not show a provincial association with ischaemic heart disease mortality. In general, these results were observed for both sexes and across all age groups. CONCLUSION: Ischaemic heart disease mortality is associated with mortality from chronic diseases which share coronary risk factors, across provinces of Spain over the period 1980-1995. This suggests that the geographic variation in such chronic diseases is due to common factors, potentially susceptible to similar preventive interventions.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Similar support for three different life course socioeconomic models on predicting premature cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality.

BACKGROUND: There are at least three broad conceptual models for the impact of the social environment on adult disease: the critical period, social mobility, and cumulative life course models. Several studies have shown an association between each of these models and mortality. However, few studies have investigated the importance of the different models within the same setting and none has been performed in samples of the whole population. The purpose of the present study was to study the relation between socioeconomic position (SEP) and mortality using different conceptual models in the whole population of Scania. METHODS: In the present investigation we use socioeconomic information on all men (N = 48,909) and women (N = 47,688) born between 1945 and 1950, alive on January, 1st,1990, and living in the Region of Scania, in Sweden. Focusing on three specific life periods (i.e., ages 10-15, 30-35 and 40-45), we examined the association between SEP and the 12-year risk of premature cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: There was a strong relation between SEP and mortality among those inside the workforce, irrespective of the conceptual model used. There was a clear upward trend in the mortality hazard rate ratios (HRR) with accumulated exposure to manual SEP in both men (p for trend < 0.001 for both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality) and women (p for trend = 0.01 for cardiovascular mortality) and (p for trend = 0.003 for all-cause mortality). Inter- and intragenerational downward social mobility was associated with an increased mortality risk. When applying similar conceptual models based on workforce participation, it was shown that mortality was affected by the accumulated exposure to being outside the workforce. CONCLUSION: There was a strong relation between SEP and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, irrespective of the conceptual model used. The critical period, social mobility, and cumulative life course models, showed the same fit to the data. That is, one model could not be pointed out as "the best" model and even in this large unselected sample it was not possible to adjudicate which theories best describe the links between life course SEP and mortality risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

[On cancer mortality in the German Democratic Republic. Regional differences and time trends of mortality of malignant neoplasms of stomach, colon, rectum, breast, and uterus, 1960--1969].

Mortality of maligant neoplasms of stomach (ICD 151; 84 529 deaths), colon (ICD 153; 13237 deaths), rectum (ICD 154; 13687 deaths), breast (ICD 174; 24400 deaths), and uterus (ICD 180--182; 25308 deaths) in the GDR in the years from 1960 to 1969 is described. There are regional differences of mortality which cannot be explained by demographic and diagnostic factors solely but suggest that there exist real differences of cancer risk. Mortality of stomach cancer is relatively low in the middle regions (Berlin, Frankfurt, Potsdam, Cottbus) and in the region of Erfurt and remakably high in the regions of Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Gera, Leipzig and Karl-Max-Stadt. Mortality of colonic cancer is highest in Berlin, lowest in Schwerin, Neubrandenburg and Gera. Mortality of rectum cancer shows minor regional differences and another distribution than colonic ancer. Mortality of breast cancer is extremely high in Berlin and very low in Suhl. Mortality of cancer of the uterus reaches high levels in Neubrandenburg and is very low in the region of Karl-Marx-Stadt. In the period 1960--1969, mortality of stomach cancer has decreased whereas mortality of colonic cancer has increased. Mortality of rectum neoplasm remained constant. The time trend of mortality of breast cancer demonstrates regional differences and has increased somewhat in th GDR. Mortality of uterus cancer has slightly decreased. Regional differences and time trends of cancer mortality in the GDR suggest the influence of environmental factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Role of immunizations in the recent decline in childhood mortality and the changes in the female/male mortality ratio in rural Senegal.

In early 1987, immunizations were introduced to an isolated area of eastern Senegal where there had previously been no regular immunizations. Since immunizations were the only change introduced in the area during this period, this allowed the authors to study the impact of immunizations of mortality in different age groups and the possible interaction with sex differences in mortality. They compared mortality rates for the 6 years before and the 6 years after the introduction of immunization. Neonatal mortality declined 31% (95% confidence interval (CI) 17 to 43); between 1 and 8 months of age, the reduction was 20% (95% CI -2 to 37); and between 9 and 59 months of age, mortality declined 48% (95% CI 39 to 56). Excluding acute measles deaths, the reduction was 16% (95% CI -8 to 35) between 1 and 8 months of age and 32% (95% CI 20 to 43) between 9 and 59 months of age. The decline was stronger in villages that maintained high coverage after the initial national campaign, whereas mortality increased again in the villages where the coverage declined. Since the reduction in mortality was most marked after 9 months of age, measles immunization is likely to have been the most important vaccination. Both female and male mortality declined but not equally quickly. The reduction in mortality in the neonatal period was significantly greater in males than in females, resulting in an increase in the female/male mortality ratio from 0.64 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.83) to 0.96 (95% CI 0.71 to 1.30), p = 0.04. After 9 months of age, the reduction in mortality was somewhat greater in females than in males, resulting in a decrease in the female/male mortality ratio from 1.04 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.28) to 0.79 (95% CI 0.62 to 1.02), p = 0.10.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2001

Simulation study of the effect of the early mortality exclusion on confounding of the exposure-mortality relation by preexisting disease.

The authors conducted a simulation study to evaluate whether exclusion of the early mortality (deaths occurring during a prespecified period immediately after baseline) reduces confounding of the exposure-mortality relation by preexisting disease. The simulation specified an exposure that decreased mortality risk in the absence of confounding and then introduced confounding by preexisting disease that biased the "true" protective effect of exposure towards greater risk. In 2,000 cohorts, exclusion of the early mortality (deaths occurring during the first 25 months of a 60-month follow-up period) did not alter the mean hazard ratio for exposure under conditions of confounding by preexisting disease that produced a constant, threefold increase in mortality risk during follow-up (the mean hazard ratio was 1.72 for all subjects and 1.72 after exclusion of the early mortality). However, when the authors specified confounding by preexisting disease which produced a threefold increase in mortality risk that attenuated over time, exclusion of the early mortality consistently identified the "true" protective effect of exposure (the mean hazard ratio was 1.07 for all subjects and 0.31 after exclusion of the early mortality). Thus, under conditions of confounding by preexisting disease which produces an increase in mortality risk that attenuates over time--an effect that does have empirical support-the early mortality exclusion can be very effective in revealing the "true" exposure-mortality relation.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2005

National estimates for maternal mortality: an analysis based on the WHO systematic review of maternal mortality and morbidity.

BACKGROUND: Despite the worldwide commitment to improving maternal health, measuring, monitoring and comparing maternal mortality estimates remain a challenge. Due to lack of data, international agencies have to rely on mathematical models to assess its global burden. In order to assist in mapping the burden of reproductive ill-health, we conducted a systematic review of incidence/prevalence of maternal mortality and morbidity. METHODS: We followed the standard methodology for systematic reviews. This manuscript presents nationally representative estimates of maternal mortality derived from the systematic review. Using regression models, relationships between study-specific and country-specific variables with the maternal mortality estimates are explored in order to assist further modelling to predict maternal mortality. RESULTS: Maternal mortality estimates included 141 countries and represent 78.1% of the live births worldwide. As expected, large variability between countries, and within regions and subregions, is identified. Analysis of variability according to study characteristics did not yield useful results given the high correlation with each other, with development status and region. A regression model including selected country-specific variables was able to explain 90% of the variability of the maternal mortality estimates. Among all country-specific variables selected for the analysis, three had the strongest relationships with maternal mortality: proportion of deliveries assisted by a skilled birth attendant, infant mortality rate and health expenditure per capita. CONCLUSION: With the exception of developed countries, variability of national maternal mortality estimates is large even within subregions. It seems more appropriate to study such variation through differentials in other national and subnational characteristics. Other than region, study of country-specific variables suggests infant mortality rate, skilled birth attendant at delivery and health expenditure per capita are key variables to predict maternal mortality at national level.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Infant mortality at time of birth and cause-specific adult mortality among residents of the Region of Madrid born elsewhere in Spain.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the association between infant mortality at time of birth and mortality from various causes of death in adulthood in men and women. METHODS: Linked mortality study based on mortality records for 1996 and 1997 and on 1996 population census data of the Region of Madrid (Spain). Deaths from five cancer sites and from five chronic diseases were estimated for 1 224 894 people aged 35-74 years residing in the Region of Madrid who were born elsewhere in Spain. RESULTS: A gradient in mortality by infant mortality quartile was seen for mortality from stomach cancer, colon cancer, diabetes mellitus and chronic liver disease in men, and for stomach cancer, ischaemic heart disease and chronic liver disease in women. The association was positive for stomach cancer and negative for all other causes. The relative mortality rates adjusted for age and adult socioeconomic factors for men belonging to infant mortality quartiles 3 and 4 (highest) versus those belonging to quartiles 1 and 2 as baseline were 1.06 (95% CI : 0.75-1.56) for stomach cancer, 0.67 (95% CI : 0.47-0.95) for colon cancer, 0.59 (95% CI : 0.35- 1.00) for diabetes mellitus, and 0.70 (95% CI : 0.49-0.99) for chronic heart disease. The relative mortality rates for women were 2.06 (95% CI : 1.09-3.88) for stomach cancer, 0.58 (95% CI : 0.41-0.80) for ischaemic heart disease, and 0.44 (95% CI : 0.27-0.70) for chronic liver disease. CONCLUSION: Higher infant mortality at time of birth is associated with adult mortality from diabetes mellitus and colon cancer in men, from ischaemic heart disease in women, and from stomach cancer and chronic liver disease in both sexes. These results most likely reflect adverse living conditions and/or nutritional deprivation in childhood.

Adult↗