title: Estimation of death rates in US states with small subpopulations.
abstract: In US states with small subpopulations, the observed mortality rates are often zero, particularly among young ages. Because in life tables, death rates are reported mostly on a log scale, zero mortality rates are problematic. To overcome the observed zero death rates problem, appropriate probability models are used. Using these models, observed zero mortality rates are replaced by the corresponding expected values. This enables logarithmic transformations and, in some cases, the fitting of the eight-parameter Heligman-Pollard model to produce mortality estimates for ages 0-130 years, a procedure illustrated in terms of mortality data from several states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A.; National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, 20782, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voulgaraki
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kedem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008017:Life Expectancy; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011336:Probability; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Heligman-Pollard; Hurdle model; life tables; mixed distribution; mortality curve; zero-inflated model