A not so happy day after all: Excess death rates on birthdays in the U.S.

Background: Mexico has suffered one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. In this study we examined how socio-demographic and population health characteristics shape the geospatial variability in excess mortality patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Methods: Weekly all-cause mortality time series for all 32 Mexican states, from January 4, 2015 to April 10, 2021, were analyzed to estimate the excess mortality rates using Serfling regression models. The association between socio-demographic, health indicators and excess mortality rates were determined using multiple linear regression analyses. Finally, we used functional data analysis to characterize clusters of states with distinct mortality growth rate curves. Results: The overall all-cause excess deaths rate during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico until April 10, 2021 was estimated at 39.66 per 10 000 population. The lowest excess death rates were observed in southeastern states including Chiapas (12.72), Oaxaca (13.42) and Quintana Roo (19.41) whereas Mexico City had the highest excess death rate (106.17), followed by Tlaxcala (51.99) and Morelos (45.90). We found a positive association of excess mortality rates with aging index (P value<.0001), marginalization index (P value<.0001), and average household size (P value=0.0003) in the final adjusted model (Model R2=76%). We identified four distinct clusters with qualitatively similar excess mortality curves. Conclusion: Central states exhibited the highest excess mortality rates whereas the distribution of aging index, marginalization index, and average household size explained the variability in excess mortality rates across Mexico. Our findings can help tailor interventions to mitigate the mortality impact of the pandemic.

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EXCESS MORTALITY FROM COVID-19. WEEKLY EXCESS DEATH RATES BY AGE AND SEX FOR SWEDEN AND ITS MOST AFFECTED REGION

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa218 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Karin Modig ◽

Anders Ahlbom ◽

Marcus Ebeling

Keyword(s):

Causes Of Death ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

National Level ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Regional Level ◽

Death Rates ◽

Excess Death ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Specific Mortality ◽

Age And Sex

Abstract Background Sweden has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 deaths per inhabitant globally. However, absolute death counts can be misleading. Estimating age- and sex-specific mortality rates is necessary in order to account for the underlying population structure. Furthermore, given the difficulty of assigning causes of death, excess all-cause mortality should be estimated to assess the overall burden of the pandemic. Methods By estimating weekly age- and sex-specific death rates during 2020 and during the preceding five years, our aim is to get more accurate estimates of the excess mortality attributed to COVID-19 in Sweden, and in the most affected region Stockholm. Results Eight weeks after Sweden’s first confirmed case, the death rates at all ages above 60 were higher than for previous years. Persons above age 80 were disproportionally more affected, and men suffered greater excess mortality than women in ages up to 75 years. At older ages, the excess mortality was similar for men and women, with up to 1.5 times higher death rates for Sweden and up to 3 times higher for Stockholm. Life expectancy at age 50 declined by less than 1 year for Sweden and 1.5 years for Stockholm compared to 2019. Conclusions The excess mortality has been high in older ages during the pandemic, but it remains to be answered if this is because of age itself being a prognostic factor or a proxy for comorbidity. Only monitoring deaths at a national level may hide the effect of the pandemic on the regional level.

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IS THE AMOUNT OF DEATH INSTINCT CONSTANT AMONG U.S. INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE AREAS: A REPLICATION

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.1991.19.2.105 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 105-107

Author(s):

Thomas T. Young

Keyword(s):

Native American ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Health Service ◽

Indian Health Service ◽

Death Instinct ◽

Death Rates ◽

Indian Health ◽

Service Areas ◽

Per Capita ◽

The U.S

Death rates for nonmotor vehicle related accidents, heart disease, and murder were obtained from the U.S. Indian Health Service for all 11 health service areas. In contrast to predictions derived from Tabachnick and Klugman's hypothesis that the amount of death instinct per capita in different regions should be constant, no statistically significant negative correlations were found, for these three variables. These findings replicate results, from earlier studies using Native and non-Native American populations.

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