Educational attainment and mortality: results from the Sixth Population Census in China

Background Health and education are two closely related factors that affect human development. A limited number of studies have been conducted in China, most of which have been based on small sample sizes and with inconsistent results. The study investigates the association between mortality rate and educational level in China based on the sixth national population census in 2010. Methods This is large-scale population study based on the nationally administrated data sets of population census in 2010, 2000 and 1990. The 2010 census covered a total population of 1 332 810,869 in China. Results In general, standardized mortality rate decreased as educational level increased. The standardized mortality rate is higher among males than among females with equivalent educational levels. The standardized mortality rate in all the educational groups declined to varying degrees from 1990. 2000 to 2010. The standardised mortality rate declined with increasing educational levels from no education to university undergraduate groups in 1990, 2000 and 2010. The standardized mortality rate declined as the degree of education increased in cities, towns, and villages, but gradually increased at the same educational level from cities, towns, to villages in general. The difference in each region is considerable and the population quality of the developed area is generally high. The percentage of the uneducated population to the total population aged 15 years and over (%) was positively correlated with the standardized mortality rate. By contrast, the percentage of the population with a high school education to the total population aged 6 years and over (%) was negatively correlated with the standardized mortality rate. Conclusions We found that educational level was negatively correlated with the mortality rate. The crude and standardized death rate is lower among individuals with higher educational level. Together with previous research findings, this study indicates that improving total population education attainment remains an important challenge that requires imperative action, while reducing educational inequities remains crucial for the government

Three-year follow-up mortality rate in Malta

Introduction: Primary osteoporosis is a major factor in fragility hip fractures. The index fracture is loaded with morbidity and increased mortality in these very fragile patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the mortality rate after 3 months, 1 year and 3 years post hip fracture with possible identification of any relationship between different hip fracture types and mortality. Method: A retrospective analysis of all hip fracture patients admitted to Mater Dei Hospital, from January to December 2011 was performed. Data was gathered from the operating theatre notes, the patient archiving and communication system and the electronic case summary software. The mortality data was achieved from the National Mortality Registry. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: Out of 281 patients with a hip fracture, 47% died (mortality group) within 3 years with a female predominance (68.9%). Within the mortality group, sustaining an intertrochanteric fracture exhibited a statistical difference between the females and males. Within 90 days of a hip fracture, the mortality rate was of 12.8% with the majority of the patients sustaining an intertrochanteric. The median survival period following hip fractures was 190 days for subcapital, 297 days for intertrochanteric and 427 days for subtrochanteric fractures. Conclusion: The mortality rate in our study compares well with the published results of similar studies. A team effort aimed at giving the best possible care and minimize the morbidity and mortality should be endeavored. This should encompass the whole pathway, starting with prevention and finishing with appropriate community care after hospital discharge.peer-reviewe

The relationship of ambient temperature and humidity with mortality on the Maltese Islands 1992-2005

Key messages -Daily mortality rates during winter are higher than during the remaining seasons - this difference is more conspicuous in persons aged 65 years and over;-The optimum average apparent temperature during which mortality rate was at a minimum was found to be around 27°C;-Mean average apparent temperature during winter during the period 1992-2005 was 11.57oC and average daily mortality rate during this season was 18.07/100000 in persons over 65 years and 0.64/100000 in persons under 65 years. During the summer the mean average apparent temperature was 29.93oC and the average daily mortality rate during this season was 12.46/100000 in persons over 65 years and 0.57/100000 in persons under 65 years.-At temperatures above 27oC the daily mortality rate increases more rapidly per degree compared to when it drops below 27oC;peer-reviewe

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality Rates in Old Age in the World Health Organization Europe Region

Socioeconomic adversity is among the foremost fundamental causes of human suffering, and this is no less true in old age. Recent reports on socioeconomic inequalities in mortality rate in old age suggest that a low socioeconomic position continues to increase the risk of death even among the oldest old. We aimed to examine the evidence for socioeconomic mortality rate inequalities in old age, including information about associations with various indicators of socioeconomic position and for various geographic locations within the World Health Organization Region for Europe. The articles included in this review leave no doubt that inequalities in mortality rate by socioeconomic position persist into the oldest ages for both men and women in all countries for which information is available, although the relative risk measures observed were rarely higher than 2.00. Still, the available evidence base is heavily biased geographically, inasmuch as it is based largely on national studies from Nordic and Western European countries and local studies from urban areas in Southern Europe. This bias will hamper the design of European-wide policies to reduce inequalities in mortality rate. We call for a continuous update of the empiric evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in mortality rate

Susceptibility Status of Malaria Vectors to Insecticides Commonly used for Malaria Control in Tanzania.

The aim of the study was to monitor the insecticide susceptibility status of malaria vectors in 12 sentinel districts of Tanzania. WHO standard methods were used to detect knock-down and mortality in the wild female Anopheles mosquitoes collected in sentinel districts. The WHO diagnostic doses of 0.05% deltamethrin, 0.05% lambdacyhalothrin, 0.75% permethrin and 4% DDT were used. The major malaria vectors in Tanzania, Anopheles gambiae s.l., were susceptible (mortality rate of 98-100%) to permethrin, deltamethrin, lambdacyhalothrin and DDT in most of the surveyed sites. However, some sites recorded marginal susceptibility (mortality rate of 80-97%); Ilala showed resistance to DDT (mortality rate of 65% [95% CI, 54-74]), and Moshi showed resistance to lambdacyhalothrin (mortality rate of 73% [95% CI, 69-76]) and permethrin (mortality rate of 77% [95% CI, 73-80]). The sustained susceptibility of malaria vectors to pyrethroid in Tanzania is encouraging for successful malaria control with Insecticide-treated nets and IRS. However, the emergency of focal points with insecticide resistance is alarming. Continued monitoring is essential to ensure early containment of resistance, particularly in areas that recorded resistance or marginal susceptibility and those with heavy agricultural and public health use of insecticides

Aging: damage accumulation versus increasing mortality rate

If aging is understood as some process of damage accumulation, it does not necessarily lead to increasing mortality rates. Within the framework of a suggested generalization of the Strehler-Mildwan (1960) model, we show that even for models with monotonically increasing degradation, the mortality rate can still decrease. The de-cline in vitality and functions, as manifestation of aging, is modeled by the monotonically decreasing quality of life function. Using this function, the initial lifetime ran-dom variable with ultimately decreasing mortality rate is ‘weighted’ to result in a new random variable which is already characterized by the increasing rate.

From organism to population: the role of life-history theory

The role of life-history theory in population and evolutionary analyses is outlined. In both cases general life histories can be analysed, but simpler life histories need fewer parameters for their description. The simplest case, of semelparous (breed-once-then-die) organisms, needs only three parameters: somatic growth rate, mortality rate and fecundity. This case is analysed in detail. If fecundity is fixed, population growth rate can be calculated direct from mortality rate and somatic growth rate, and isoclines on which population growth rate is constant can be drawn in a ”state space” with axes for mortality rate and somatic growth rate. In this space density-dependence is likely to result in a population trajectory from low density, when mortality rate is low and somatic growth rate is high and the population increases (positive population growth rate) to high density, after which the process reverses to return to low density. Possible effects of pollution on this system are discussed. The state-space approach allows direct population analysis of the twin effects of pollution and density on population growth rate. Evolutionary analysis uses related methods to identify likely evolutionary outcomes when an organism's genetic options are subject to trade-offs. The trade-off considered here is between somatic growth rate and mortality rate. Such a trade-off could arise because of an energy allocation trade-off if resources spent on personal defence (reducing mortality rate) are not available for somatic growth rate. The evolutionary implications of pollution acting on such a trade-off are outlined

Mortality in children, adolescents and adults with sickle cell anemia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the mortality rate of children, adolescents and adults with sickle cell anemia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: The number of deaths, the mortality rate and the causes of deaths in patients with sickle cell anemia who were treated and followed up at our institution for 15 years were determined and compared to data available for the Brazilian population. RESULTS: The overall number of deaths was 281 patients with a mortality rate of 16.77%. Survival probability was significantly higher in females. The number of deaths and the mortality rate were age-specific with a significant increase in the 19- to 29-year-old age group. The remaining life expectancy of the patients with sickle cell anemia was less than that of Brazilians at large. The gap between the two was about 20 years for ages between one and five years with this gap decreasing to ten years after the age of 65 years. The most common causes of death were infection, acute chest syndrome, overt stroke, organ damage and sudden death during painful crises. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Brazilian study in a single institution in Rio de Janeiro; the mortality rate was 18.87% among adult patients with sickle cell anemia. The mortality rates in children and adults are higher than those reported in developed countries of the northern hemisphere

Modeling failure (mortality) rate with a change point

Simple models for the failure (mortality) rate change point are considered. The relationship with the mean residual lifetime function change point problem is discussed. It is shown that when the change point is random, the observed failure (mortality) rate can be obtained via a specific mixture of lifetime distributions. The shape of the observed failure (mortality) rate is analyzed and the corresponding sim-ple but meaningful example is considered.

Atmospheric Pollution, Environmental Justice and Mortality Rate : a Spatial Approach

This paper presents the first study of environmental inequality related to health in France at the national scale. Through an econometric analysis based on a panel data from 2000 to 2004 at a department level, we investigate total mortality rate in relation to socioeconomic status and air pollution. Concentration level of CO, SO2, NO2, NO, O3 and PM10 are estimated by spatial interpolation from local observations of a network of monitoring stations. By running a multivariate model, we first investigate the relationship between socioeconomic factors and total mortality rate ; then, we make the link with environmental air quality measured within the department. Unemployment plays an important role in affecting the mortality rate. Pollutant concentration level are divided into two risk categories (low and high) at the median. We find a positive and significative relationship between NO2 and mortality rate especially at high concentration level of NO2 with a relative risk more important for women. Besides, NO2 level tends to modify the effect of unemployment on mortality rate. These results not only confirm the existence of short term relationships between current air pollution levels and mortality but also raise questions about environmental justice in France.Inequality, air pollution, air quality, environmental economics, environmental health and safety, environmental impact, environmental equity, mortality rate, spatial auto-correlation.