Spatial differentiation of the mortality patterns in Poland

Oskar Knapik, Cracow University of Economics

The aim of the paper is to determine the homogenous areas of the mortality by main causes of death in Poland. It is followed by the hypothesis that the mortality of given population not only depends on its demographic structure, but it is the result of the environmental conditions as well. We consider the mortality classified by age, sex and cause of deaths observed by territorial units in Poland. The work consists of two parts: the descriptive and the analytical ones. The descriptive part rely on demonstration and evaluation of the differences in demographic structures of the populations and of environmental features of each of the territorial units. In the analytical step, the methods of data analysis enriched by Bayesian approach are applied (see F. Divino V. Egidi M. A. Salvatore, Geographical mortality patterns in Italy: A Bayesian analysis, Demographic Research, Volume 20, Article 18, Pages 435-466, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, 24 April 2009). The expected results are: 1. the determination of the areas with high risk of death resulting of given cause (for instance: cancer or cardiovascular diseases), 2. the evaluation of the dissimilarities between homogenous areas, 3. the evaluation of the impact of environmental features on the risk of death by cause, 4. evaluation of the possibilities of the Bayesian approach in comparison to data analysis methods. Statistical data comes from Central Statistical Office in Poland.