Underlying and contributory causes of death of adult males in two districts

Abstract

Underlying and contributory causes of death of males aged 45 and above in two districts, have been analyzed by age, continent of birth and place of death. The amount of additional information for individual diseases, gained through inclusion of contributory causes, varies markedly with these characteristics i.e. age, continent of birth and place of death. The findings of this study have shown that certain previously observed regional differences in deaths rates were probably secondary to differences in the composition of the populations of the regions by the said characteristics. Some basic problems, bearing on the epidemiologic interpretation of statistics of causes of death by underlying and contributory causes are discussed on the background of a number of published studies from other countries and of this exploratory study. The main conclusion is that, for a better epidemiological use of this information, it is essential to achieve clearer definition of what constitutes a contributory cause, and more uniformity in the filling of death notifications.