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Trends in premature mortality in England and Wales, 1950-2004

Levin Wheller1, Allan Baker, Clare Griffiths

  • 1Office for National Statistics.

Health Statistics Quarterly
|September 16, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Premature mortality levels have significantly decreased in England and Wales between 1950 and 2004. This study explores various definitions of premature death to identify the best measure for national statistics.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Demography
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Premature mortality is a significant public health issue.
  • Lack of consensus exists on defining and reporting premature deaths.
  • Standardized measures are needed for accurate national statistics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate different methods for measuring premature mortality.
  • To analyze trends in premature mortality in England and Wales from 1950 to 2004.
  • To determine the most appropriate indicator for national mortality statistics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized four distinct indicators to define and measure premature mortality.
  • Employed four different age thresholds to establish prematurity.
  • Analyzed mortality data for England and Wales spanning 1950-2004.

Main Results:

  • All four measures consistently demonstrated a marked decrease in premature mortality over the study period.
  • Significant declines in premature death rates were observed across all age thresholds.
  • The study identified a clear downward trend in premature mortality, irrespective of the definition used.

Conclusions:

  • Premature mortality has substantially declined in England and Wales since 1950.
  • The choice of age threshold significantly impacts premature mortality metrics.
  • Further discussion is needed to establish a definitive, standardized measure for national premature mortality statistics.

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