Abstract
The purpose of the study is to shed light on the causes of the large difference in mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) between East and West Finland. The study is based on the death certificate records on deaths from IHD in 1971–1975 among Finnish men aged 35–64. These records were linked with the records on persons in the 1970 census. Mortality from IHD is analyzed simultaneously by region of birth and region of residence, controlling for several socio-economic and demographic variables, by means of log-linear models. The analysis shows that being born in East Finland and living there both increase the risk of IHD, but that being born in East Finland is a more important risk factor than is living there.
Résumé
L'objectif de cet article est d'élucider les causes du grand écart observé entre l'Est et l'Ouest de la Finlande en ce qui concerne la mortalité par maladie ischémique du coeur (IHD). L'étude est basée sur les enregistrements des certificats relatifs aux décès par IHD en 1971–1975, parmi les hommes de 35 à 64 ans. A l'aide de modèles log-linéaires, la mortalité par IHD est analysée à la fois par région de naissance et par région de résidence en contrôlant plusieurs variables socio-économiques et démographiques. L'analyse montre que le fait d'être né en Finlande orientale et le fait d'y résider aggravent le risque d'IHD, mais que le premier de ces deux facteurs de risque est le plus important.
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Acknowledgements: This report is part of a research project called ‘Social factors and mortality’ funded by the Social Science Research Council of the Academy of Finland. The author is indebted to the Central Statistical Office of Finland for permission to use the linked data set on mortality, and would also like to thank Seppo Koskinen, Anders Ekholm and Veijo Notkola for their comments and, particularly, Tuija Martelin who helped during all the phases of the study.
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Valkonen, T. Male mortality from ischaemic heart disease in Finland: Relation to region of birth and region of residence. Eur J Population 3, 61–83 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01797092
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01797092