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A comparative study on mortality patterns among Koreans, Korean-Chinese and Chinese
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Korea. jskim@plaza.snu.ac.kr
Journal of Korean Medical Science
|September 15, 1999
Summary
Mortality rates in Yanji, China, were highest among Korean-Chinese, followed by Koreans and Chinese. Ethnicity and environment significantly impact leading causes of death, with most attributed to mixed effects.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Medical Sociology
Background:
- Disease patterns often vary by geographic location and ethnic background.
- Understanding these variations is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
- Yanji city, China, presents a unique demographic with Korean-Chinese, Korean, and Chinese populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal mechanisms of disease aggregates related to place and ethnicity.
- To compare mortality data between Korean-Chinese, Koreans, and Chinese populations in Yanji.
- To identify specific causes of death influenced by ethnicity versus environment.
Main Methods:
- Collected and validated mortality data from Yanji city for 1993.
- Analyzed age-standardized and age-specific mortality rates.
- Compared the ten leading causes of death with 1993 Korean mortality statistics.
Main Results:
- Age-standardized mortality rates were highest in Korean-Chinese, then Koreans, and lowest in Chinese.
- Seven male and six female leading causes of death were common across all groups.
- Hypertensive diseases and tuberculosis linked to ethnicity; homicide, diabetes, and renal disease linked to environment; others to both.
Conclusions:
- Mortality patterns differ significantly among ethnic groups in Yanji.
- Specific diseases are associated with ethnicity (e.g., hypertension, tuberculosis) or environment (e.g., homicide, diabetes).
- Most leading causes of death result from the combined impact of ethnicity and environment.