Reliability of cause-specific mortality rate statistics: case of Lithuania.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the reliability of cause-specific mortality rate statistics.


METHODS
The underlying causes of death among different demographic groups in a territorial unit of Lithuania were verified and the data were compared with the corresponding official statistics.


METHODS
Community-based autopsy and expert analysis of medical records.


RESULTS
The study contingent consisted of 1474 permanent residents aged 0-101 years [809 (54.9%) males and 665 (45.1%) females] who had died in hospital (n=546, 37%) and out of hospital (n=928, 63%) in 1989-1991. The underlying cause of death was verified in 98.6% of cases by full autopsy (69.9%) and expert analysis of medical records (28.7%). Circulatory system diseases were found to be implicated in 44.4% of all deaths (35.9% of males and 54.7% of females), malignant neoplasms were the cause of 19.4% of deaths (21.5 and 16.8%, respectively) and external causes were responsible for 19.4% of deaths (27.3 and 9.8%, respectively). Cause-specific mortality rates were sex and age dependent.


CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of circulatory system diseases in the cause-specific mortality structure was found to be significantly lower, and that of external causes (injury and poisoning) was found to be higher than the corresponding proportions presented by official Lithuanian statistics. Verified cardiovascular death rates corresponded with those in the European Union as a whole.
Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania.
E
E
Stalioraityte
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D
Pangonyte
D
D
Kazlauskaite
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D012737:Sex Factors