Queen Margrethe II and mortality in Danish women.
All-cause mortality in women is declining in all western European countries, apart from in Danish women. All-cause mortality in Danish women, age-adjusted to 45-74 years was compared with all-cause mortality in women in Scotland and with the mean of the other countries of the European Union for 1970-96. The decline of all-cause mortality in Danish women stopped in 1978 whereas the decline continued in Scotland. In 1996, all-cause mortality was 48% higher in Denmark than that of the mean for the European Union countries. Many Danish women are smokers. Halting of the decline in mortality occurred about 5 years after the ascension to the throne of Denmark by Queen Margrethe II. The queen is very popular in Denmark and a known cigarette smoker. As a role model for women, the Queen's example could offer an explanation for the unusual mortality in Danish women.
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Leuven, Belgium. hugo.kesteloot@med.kuleuven.ac.be
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D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*