International journal of epidemiology
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Comparative Study
Trends of liver cirrhosis mortality in Europe, 1970-1989: age-period-cohort analysis and changing alcohol consumption.
Since the mid 1970s, a striking reduction in alcohol-related problems has been observed in many Western countries. Liver cirrhosis mortality is considered to be a major indicator of alcohol-related problems in the general population. The aim of the present study is to describe liver cirrhosis mortality trends in European countries between 1970 and 1989. ⋯ The age-period-cohort analysis allows targeting of health care and prevention programmes based on future trends. Aetiological and prognostic factors act differently in Europe. A better understanding of the trends would require more detailed information on alcoholism treatment rates, alcohol habits, viral hepatitic infections and other factors involved in the aetiopathogenesis of the disease.
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Child mortality estimates in Beirut are presented for the late 1970s and the mid 1980s, and changes in socio-religious differentials of mortality across time are investigated. ⋯ The findings confirm the hypothesis of a reduction over time of religious-based child mortality differences in the capital city of Lebanon, in agreement with the pattern found for religious-based fertility differences. Comparisons with other countries in the region indicate that the war in Lebanon has slowed down the decline in child mortality, causing the country to loose its priviledged position among Arab countries.