Trends In Mortality Differentials Research Articles

New South Wales trends in mortality differentials between small rural and urban communities over a 25‐year period, 1970–1994

To identify trends in premature mortality differences between urban and small rural communities in NSW over a 25-years period. A longitudinal population-based study. ABS population and death data by local government area, sex and age for the period 1970 to 1994, were used to derive mortality measures for urban and small rural communities in NSW. NSW local government areas categorised by the Rural and Remote Metropolitan Area Classification system as 'capital city' (the Sydney Statistical Division) and 'other rural area' and 'other remote area'. All persons aged 0-74 years resident in the aforementioned NSW local government areas between 1970 and 1994 inclusive. Whether premature mortality differentials have widened, narrowed or remained the same over the study period and the magnitude of any identified changes. There was a decrease in premature mortality rates for men and women in both urban and small rural communities. However, the decline was less in small rural communities, with the differential between small rural and urban areas increasing 2-3% every 5 years. Differences in age structure, proportion of indigenous and migrant populations between small rural communities and urban NSW can not fully account for the increasing differential. Other possible explanatory factors include socioeconomic status and different exposures and practices in rural areas.

The expectation of life and its relationship to mortality

SUMMARYThe complete expectation of life at birth ė0 is frequently used as a measure of the level of mortality of a population. It is also used for assessing trends in mortality and trends in mortality differentials. Although the relationship between mortality and expectation of life is essentially reciprocal, the exact connexion is rather more complicated, and becomes important when, for example, trends in differentials are analysed.In this paper, the relationship between mortality and expectation of life is explored in some detail, and formulae are developed for analysing the effects of mortality changes on expectation of life, and trends in mortality differentials on ė0 differentials.Unlike Keyfitz (1977), who concentrates on the proportional change in ė0 corresponding to equal proportional changes in mortality at all ages, we study the relationship between absolute changes in mortality, generally different at different ages, and the corresponding absolute change in ė0.It is demonstrated that two populations may experience diminishing mortality differentials and at the same time widening ė0 differentials. Numerical examples are given using Australian data over the periods 1921–71 and 1971–79.Although the formulae in the paper relate solely to the expectation of life at birth, the methods and formulae are readily adapted to expectations of life at other ages and indeed, temporary expectations.

SEX DIFFERENCES IN MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY

Scottish data for the period 1861 to 1977 and U.S. data for 1900 to 1970 are used to examine trends in mortality differentials by sex. (ANNOTATION)