Trends and socioeconomic gradients in adult mortality around the developing world

Damien de Walque and Deon Filmer

No 5716, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: The authors combine data from 84 Demographic and Health Surveys from 46 countries to analyze trends and socioeconomic differences in adult mortality, calculating mortality based on the sibling mortality reports collected from female respondents aged 15-49. The analysis yields four main findings. First, adult mortality is different from child mortality: while under-5 mortality shows a definite improving trend over time, adult mortality does not, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The second main finding is the increase in adult mortality in Sub-Saharan African countries. The increase is dramatic among those most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Mortality rates in the highest HIV-prevalence countries of southern Africa exceed those in countries that experienced episodes of civil war. Third, even in Sub-Saharan countries where HIV-prevalence is not as high, mortality rates appear to be at best stagnating, and even increasing in several cases. Finally, the main socioeconomic dimension along which mortality appears to differ in the aggregate is gender. Adult mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa have risen substantially higher for men than for women—especially so in the high HIV-prevalence countries. On the whole, the data do not show large gaps by urban/rural residence or by school attainment.

Keywords: Population Policies; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Demographics; Statistical&Mathematical Sciences; Early Child and Children's Health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-06-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-dev and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Trends and Socioeconomic Gradients in Adult Mortality around the Developing World (2013)
Working Paper: Trends and Socio-Economic Gradients in Adult Mortality around the Developing World (2012)
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