Geographical variations in mortality from Parkinson's disease in Japan, 1977-1985.
Geographical variations in the age-adjusted death rate from Parkinson's disease (PD) were analyzed using Japanese vital statistics for 1977-1985. The highest age-adjusted PD death rate was 2.7 times higher in Tottori (2.9 per 100,000 population aged 25 years and over) than Fukushima (1.1) prefectures. The overall age-adjusted PD death rate was 1.8. The age-adjusted PD death rate was higher in urban (2.0) than in rural (1.7) areas during the period 1979-1985. The age-adjusted PD death rate was higher in the southwest than in the northeast. Correlation coefficients between the age-adjusted PD death rate, and the mean physician-population ratio and the mean neurologist-population ratio were positive, but not statistically significant. The regional variations in the age-adjusted PD death rate were not entirely explained by the availability of medical facilities. Environmental risk factors for PD might differ regionally. Further investigation is needed to explain the differential age-adjusted PD death rate in Japan.
Imaizumi
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Institute of Population Problems, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data