Abstract

PIP: Mortality trends and patterns in Korea during 1985-95 were analyzed. The percent change of death rates was calculated from the death registration data, and regression analysis was used to examine the trends of mortality rates. Findings reveal that the declines in infectious, circulatory, and respiratory disease are the primary causes of a reduced mortality rate. The relative decrease of mortality was greater for females than males under age 70 years, although the reverse is observed for those older than 70 years. Among all age groups mortality decrease was the highest among children 5-9 years old. Traffic accidents were the leading cause of death under 40 years of age; liver disease was for those in their 40s. Cerebrovascular diseases were most significant for those aged 50 years and over. Major causes of increased death rates for both sexes included cancer, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, mental and behavioral disorders, traffic accidents, suicide, and homicide. Major causes increasing sex differentials in mortality were tuberculosis, cancer, liver diseases, and mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use.