Dossier n. 213/2011 [Abstract] Atlas of mortality in Emilia-Romagna. 2003-2007

The aim of this volume is to analyze mortality phenomenon in Emilia-Romagna through appropriate and different synthesis tools. The analysis of mortality is since long time a fundamental aspect of epidemiological research and a global health indicator. It allows to study the distribution of the most lethal pathologies in populations and to make causality hypotheses between risk factor and pathology.

The volume is mainly descriptive, but it can nonetheless rise questions on the reasons of particular geographical, temporal, sex and age death distributions; it can also support decision-makers to identify appropriate health policies and interventions.

Mortality is stratified by cause according to ICD IX international classification, both by general population and by sex. Results are aggregated by year, by time period, by Municipality and by Local Health Trust of residence.

The publication offers the analysis of mortality data by cause of death in population living in Emilia-Romagna from 1981 to 2007 and it is divided by pathology into 31 chapters organized in two sections: the first one is dedicated to general and cancer mortality; the second is dedicated to mortality from other causes, including accidental falls and infant mortality that have been added as compared with the previous Atlas of mortality.

After a short synthesis of the most important results, each chapter is divided into paragraphs dealing with:

• comparison with national data: regional (1981-2007) and national (1981-2001) trends are shown in tables and graphics, aggregated by sex;
• age - period - cohort analysis by sex: specific mortality rates by age group and period of death and mortality risks ratio by period of death and birth cohort are displayed;
• comparison among different areas of the region; tables, graphs and geographical maps present:
  
  
  • the absolute number of deaths and proportional mortality aggregated by Local Health Trust of residence and age group, divided by total population and sex;
  • the absolute number of deaths, crude and standardised rates for the year 2007, divided by Local Health Trust, total population and sex;
  • the absolute number of deaths, crude and standardised rates with direct and indirect standardization method (SMR) with confidence intervals (2003-2007), aggregated by district and Local Health Trust of residence, total population and sex;
  • geographical maps of the estimated relative risk (BMR) by Municipality (2003-2007), aggregated by sex and total population for the period 2003-2007;
  • geographical maps of percentage differences of the BMR by Municipality between the periods 2003-2007 vs 1998-2002 by total population and sex.

In the chapter on general mortality a preview of Emilia-Romagna mortality in 2008 is also reported.