title: Differing Procedures for Recording Mortality Statistics in Scandinavia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There may be various reasons for differences in suicide rates between countries and over time within a country. One reason can be different registration practices.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the present procedures for mortality and suicide registration in the three Scandinavian countries and to illustrate potential sources of error in the registration of suicide.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about registration practices and classification procedures was obtained from the cause of death registers in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. In addition, we received information from experts in the field in each country.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sweden uses event of undetermined intent more frequently than Denmark does, and Denmark more frequently than Norway. There seems to be somewhat more uncertainty among deaths classified as ill-defined and unknown cause of mortality in Norway, compared with the other two countries. Sweden performs more forensic autopsies than Norway, and Norway more than Denmark. In Denmark, in cases of a suspected unnatural manner of death, a thorough external examination of the deceased is performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in the classification of causes of death and in postmortem examinations exist in Scandinavian countries. These differences might influence the suicide statistics in Scandinavia.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Acute Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway.|2 Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingvild M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Tøllefsen
authors.affiliation: 3 Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Erlend
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hem
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.|3 Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Øivind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Ekeberg
authors.affiliation: 4 Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Per-Henrik
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Zahl
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Social Medicine and Public Health Research, Copenhagen University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Helweg-Larsen
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002423:Cause of Death; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: autopsy; cause of death register; mortality statistics; suicide; undetermined intent