scholarly journals Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 380-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Beltrán-Sánchez ◽  
E. M. Crimmins ◽  
C. E. Finch

Early environmental influences on later-life health and mortality are well recognized in the doubling of life expectancy since 1800. To further define these relationships, we analyzed the associations between early-life mortality and both the estimated mortality level at age 40 and the exponential acceleration in mortality rates with age characterized by the Gompertz model. Using mortality data from 630 cohorts born throughout the 19th and early 20th century in nine European countries, we developed a multilevel model that accounts for cohort and period effects in later-life mortality. We show that early-life mortality, which is linked to exposure to infection and poor nutrition, predicts both the estimated cohort mortality level at age 40 and the subsequent Gompertz rate of mortality acceleration during aging. After controlling for effects of country and period, the model accounts for the majority of variance in the Gompertz parameters (about 90% of variation in the estimated level of mortality at age 40 and about 78% of variation in the Gompertz slope). The gains in cohort survival to older ages are entirely due to large declines in adult mortality level, because the rates of mortality acceleration at older ages became faster. These findings apply to cohorts born in both the 19th century and the early 20th century. This analysis defines new links in the developmental origins of adult health and disease in which effects of early-life circumstances, such as exposure to infections or poor nutrition, persist into mid-adulthood and remain evident in the cohort mortality rates from ages 40 to 90.

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 896-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pekka Martikainen ◽  
Irma Elo ◽  
Lasse Tarkiainen ◽  
Janne Mikkonen ◽  
Mikko Myrskylä ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Life course epidemiology suggests that early life circumstances affect adult mortality, but most of the evidence is based on cohorts born in the beginning of the 20th century. It remains unclear whether and how the influences of early life circumstances on mortality have changed in later birth cohorts. Methods Analyses rely on 10% register-based samples of households drawn from the 1950 and the 1975 Finnish censuses, with consistent follow-up of socioeconomic and housing-related characteristics and early mid-life mortality (at ages 30–55 years). We estimate survival models for the associations between childhood circumstances and all-cause, internal and external mortality for cohorts born in 1936–50 and 1961–75 adjusting for attained social characteristics. We estimate sibling intraclass correlations as summary measures of all early life and familial influences. Results Adverse childhood social circumstances were typically associated with about 10–30% excess cause-specific mortality. These associations were almost fully attenuated by adjustment for achieved later life social characteristics. Early life influences have grown over time for mortality from external causes, particularly as related to home ownership and family type. Differentials have remained stable for internal causes. The intraclass correlations further confirmed the increasing association of early life circumstances on external-cause mortality. Conclusions Our analyses show that the associations between childhood characteristics and mid-life mortality are substantial and almost fully mediated by achieved adult social characteristics. The increase in the contribution of childhood circumstances to mid-life mortality is driven by ever stronger associations with external causes of death.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 505-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Firmin ◽  
N. Bahi-Jaber ◽  
L. Abdennebi-Najar

It is now accepted that the way our health evolves with aging is intimately linked to the quality of our early life. The present review highlights the emerging data of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease field on developmental disruption by toxicants and their subsequent effect on type 2 diabetes. We report adverse neonatal effects of several food contaminants during pregnancy and lactation, among them bisphenol A, chlorpyrifos, perfluorinated chemicals on pancreas integrity and functionality in later life. The described alterations, in conjunction with disruption of β cell mass in early life, can lead to dysregulation of glucose metabolism, insulin synthesis, which facilitates the development of insulin resistance and progression of diabetes in the adult. Despite limited and often inconclusive epidemiologic and experimental data, more recent data clearly show that infants appear to be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in later life. This may be a result of continued exposure to chemical food contaminants during the critical window of pancreas development. In societies already burdened with increased incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, there is a clear need for information regarding the potential harmful effects of chemical food contaminants on adult health diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carah Figueroa ◽  
Christine Linhart ◽  
Latu Fusimalohi ◽  
Sioape Kupu ◽  
Gloria Mathenge ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tonga is a South Pacific Island country with a population of 100,651 (2016 Census). This study examines Tongan infant mortality rates (IMR), under-five mortality rates (U5MR), adult mortality and life expectancy (LE) at birth from 2010 to 2018 using a recent collation of empirical mortality data over the past decade for comparison with other previously published mortality estimates. Methods Routinely collected mortality data for 2010–2018 from the Ministry of Health, national (Vaiola) hospital, community nursing reports, and the Civil Registry, were consolidated by deterministic and probabilistic linkage of individual death records. Completeness of empirical mortality reporting was assessed by capture-recapture analysis. The reconciled data were aggregated into triennia to reduce stochastic variation, and used to estimate IMR and U5MR (per 1000 live births), adult mortality (15–59, 15–34, 35–59, and 15–64 years), and LE at birth, employing the hypothetical cohort method (with statistical testing). Mortality trends and differences were assessed by Poisson regression. Mortality findings were compared with published national and international agency estimates. Results Over the three triennia in 2010–2018, levels varied minimally for IMR (12–14) and U5MR (15–19) per 1000 births (both ns, p > 0.05), and also for male LE at birth of 64–65 years, and female LE at birth 69–70 years. Cumulated risks of adult mortality were significantly higher in men than women; period mortality increases in 15–59-year women from 18 to 21% were significant (p < 0.05). Estimated completeness of the reconciled data was > 95%. International agencies reported generally comparable estimates of IMR and U5MR, with varying uncertainty intervals; but they reported significantly lower adult mortality and higher LE than the empirical estimates from this study. Conclusions Life expectancy in Tonga over 2010–2018 has remained relatively low and static, with low IMR and U5MR, indicating the substantial impact from premature adult mortality. This analysis of empirical data (> 95% complete) indicates lower LE and higher premature adult mortality than previously reported by international agencies using indirect and modelled methods. Continued integration of mortality recording and data systems in Tonga is important for improving the completeness and accuracy of mortality estimation for local health monitoring and planning.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-121
Author(s):  
Sven G. Bremberg

Background:Early life conditions might determine adult mortality. The literature, however, both support and contradict this proposition. In most studies, the outcome has been the mortality rates in a given period of time. These rates represent the combined result of both previous and current exposures. Therefore, it is more apt to study the rate of improvement as an outcome, rather than mortality rates in a given period of time.Objective:The effects of early-life conditions, assessed as mortality rates at ages 0 and 1-4, and the effects of indicators of available resources in adult life were analysed.Methods:The outcomes were the decrease in the national rates of mortality in three age groups, aged 24-34, 35-54 and 55-74, in 18 OECD countries over the years 1990-2010. The effects were analysed in linear multiple regression models using least squares, controlling for country-specific historical constants, which represent the mortality rates in 1990.Results:Among the 24-34 and 35-54 year-olds, neither early-life indicators nor resource indicators significantly affected the regression equations. Among the 55-74 year-olds, however, in the model including the mortality rate at age 0 in 1940-49, the explanatory value of the equation in question increased from 65 to 79%, and the effect of mortality rate at age 0 was statistically significant.Conclusion:Significant effects of early-life conditions on the rate of decrease in mortality were found, but only in the oldest age group. This finding is consistent with Gavrilov’s reliability theory of aging.Key Points• Mortality rates have decreased almost linearly in recent decades in OECD countries.• Most of the variation between countries seemed to be determined by past history and the catch-up of nations that have previously lagged behind.• A significant effect of early-life conditions on the rate of decrease in mortality was found, but only in the 55-74 year-olds, not in the 24-34 and 35-54 year-olds.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Sear ◽  
Paula Sheppard ◽  
David Coall

Father absence in early life is consistently shown to be associated with accelerated reproductive development in girls. Evolutionary social scientists have proposed several adaptive hypotheses for this finding. Though there is variation in the detail of these hypotheses, they all assume that family environment in early life influences the development of life history strategy, and, broadly, that early reproductive development is an adaptive response to father absence. Empirical evidence to support these hypotheses, however, is derived from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) populations. Data from a much broader range of human societies is necessary in order to properly test adaptive hypotheses. Here we review the empirical literature on father absence and puberty in both sexes, focusing on recent studies which have tested this association beyond the WEIRD world. We find that relationships between father absence and age at puberty are more varied in contexts beyond WEIRD societies, and when relationships beyond the father-daughter dyad, are considered. This has implications for our understanding of how early life environment is linked to life history strategies, and for our understanding of pathways to adult health outcomes, given that early reproductive development may be linked to negative health outcomes in later life.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tshifhiwa Nkwenika ◽  
Samuel Manda

Abstract Background: Young adult mortality is very significant in South Africa due to the influence of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), Injuries and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Previous analyses have mainly focused on assessing the time effect of age and period separately. However, health outcomes often depend on three-time scales, namely age, period, and cohort, which are linearly interlinked. Using Age-Period-Cohort (APC) models, this study estimated the time effects of age, period, and cohort on HIV and TB mortality among young adults in South Africa. Methods: HIV and TB mortality data and mid population estimates were obtained from Statistics South Africa for the period 1997 to 2015. Mortality data are based on deaths reported to the Department of Home Affairs where the underlying cause of death was HIV or TB based on the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) definition. Observed HIV/AIDS deaths were adjusted for under-reporting, misclassification, and systematic proportion from ill-defined natural deaths. Three-year age, period, and birth cohort intervals for 15-64 years, 1997-2015 and 1934-2000 respectively were used. The Age-Period-Cohort (APC) analysis using the Poisson distribution was used to compute the effects of age, period, and cohort on mortality due to TB and HIV. Results: A total of 5, 825,502 adult deaths were recorded from the period 1997 to 2015 of which, 910,731 (15.6%) and 252,101 (4.3%) were attributed to TB and HIV, respectively. For both observed mortality rate and estimated relative effects, concave down associations were found between TB, HIV mortality rates and period, age with peaks, at 36-38 and 30-32 years, respectively. A downward trend and inverted V-shape between TB and HIV mortality by birth cohort was found, respectively. Conclusions: The study found an inverse U-shaped association between TB-related mortality and age, period, and general downward trend with a birth cohort for deaths reported between 1997 and 2015. A concave down relationship between HIV-related mortality and age, period, and inverted V-shaped with birth cohort was found. Our findings have shed more light on HIV and TB mortality rates across different age groups, the effect of changes in the overall TB and HIV management and care on the mortality rates, and whether the mortality rates depend on the year an individual was born.


Asian Studies ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. 47-64
Author(s):  
Silvia CANUTI

 Among Chinese writers of the 20th century, Xie Wanying 谢婉莹 (1900–1999), known with her pen name Bing Xin 冰心, has been considered by literary critics as “the writer of love” and “the philosopher of love”. Nevertheless, this label seems to have ignored an element that could let us identify important conflicts within her works, that can be attributed to her contacts and relations with people and institutions linked to the Christian faith. Therefore, in the first period of Bing Xin’s literary production (1920–1930), this peculiar aspect of Western culture, the Christian belief, seems to be for her the expression of a definitely alternative and unconventional way to achieve truth in the early 20th century China.  


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