A Study on The Life Tablefor Specific Causes of Death in Korea

사망원인과 특정사인생명표에 관한 연구

This study was conducted to make the life tables from specific causes of death in Korea. Both "Life tables of Korea in l978-79" and "the statistics on causes of death statistics in 1980" issued by Economic Planning Board were used as source of data for this study. Among the 58, 187 death certificates reported to the concerned authorities, 39, 801 causes were drawn for the purpose of this study. As a result, it is revealed that two thirds of men in Korea died from these 10 major causes of death. The summarized results are as follows: 1. According to recent statistics, 10 major causes of death in 1980 were shown in the order of 1) malignant neoplasms, 2) cerebrovascular disease, 3) accidents and adverse effects, 4)hypertensive disease, 5) ischaemic heart disease and heart attack, 6) chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, 7) tuberculosis, 8) pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema and asthma, 9) suicide, 10) diabetes mellitis. 2. The major causes of death in Korea were very similar to those of developed countries such as West Germany, Denmark and Japan. This means that our pattern of death causes is almost approaching to that of developed countries. 3. Our crude death rate in 1980 was on the line of 6.6 per 1, 000 people. This is very low level, compared with 12.1 in West Germany and 10.0 in Denmark, however, our age sepcific death rate was on the verge of doubled level in each age category as to that of West Germany, Denmark and Japan. The fact tells us that our death rate is very high yet, especially in young and prime adult age, and the proportion of the aged is quite low. 4. Average ages of people died from malignant neoplasms, cerebro vascular diseases and hypertensive diseases were 63.1, 66.6, 67.3 respectively, however, that of accidents and adverse effect was only 42.5. This shows that accidents occur indifferently from age. 5. In the curve of eventual death probability, the curve of malignant neoplasms was the highest of all curves before 60 in age. However, the probability curve of eventually dying from accidents and adverse effects tends to decline with age. 6. In this study five life tables from major causes of death (four leading causes of death and of tuberculosis) were constructed for 1979. These life tables are reflecting accurately the effects of age distribution on the specific cause of death. In the surviving curje of these tables we can see that the curve of accidents is adversely related to age. While curves of neoplasms, hypertension and tuberculosis are not diminishing before 40 in age, they are going sharply downward after 50 in age.ard after 50 in age.