[Mortality of Polish capuchins in 1946-2000]

In the study the mortality of Polish monks (Capuchins order) was analysed for the period 1946-2000, and for two pairs of sub-periods limited by the dates of the end of Vatican Council, Second, and democratic transformation in 1989. Statistical approach based on the follow-up method. Comparison with the reference population (Polish males from urban areas) was made by means of the standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) and their 95% confidence intervals. The studied cohort included 606 priests and 190 brothers contributing 13990.1 and 4148.7 person-years of observation, respectively. The total number of 154 deaths (105 priests and 49 brothers) was noted. Standardised mortality ratios for all the monks was 0.636 (95%CI: 0.539-0.744). Mortality of monks' cohort and priests' sub-cohort was found significantly lowered as related to the reference population, whereas for the brothers the observed decrease was statistically not significant. The influence of the Vatican Council and/or democratic transformation in 1989 on the Polish Capuchins order was observed. After 1989 the monks' mortality was decreased much more then previously, which is preferably correlated with the significant mortality reduction in the brothers' cohort.