Four decades of mortality by cause of death in three European countries

Marketa Pechholdova, Charles University, Prague

Our study aims to explain the mortality differentials between Czech Republic, West Germany and France using long-term time series of mortality by cause of death. For the first time, the cause-of-death profiles of several European countries are compared in such level of detail and such time range. As a base, we work with the mortality time series reconstructed for the period of the 8th and the 9th revision of international classification of diseases (ICD). Then we propose our proper shortlist of 185 diseases which serves to 1) reclassify the existing series to the current revision of international classification of diseases (ICD10), 2) to assure for maximum comparability between countries (including US and Canada), and 3) to allow for application of several health-related concepts based on the cause-of-death statistics (typically avoidable causes of death, and smoking / alcohol related mortality). Before proposing explanations of the background of the observed mortality disparities, the mutual comparability of the cause-of-death statistics in the three countries of our interest is thoroughly inspected.