Nantawan Intachat. Causes of death in Thailand : patterns and differences . Doctoral Degree(Demography). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2004.
Causes of death in Thailand : patterns and differences
Abstract:
The two objectives of this study are: to explore the causes of death, focusing on patterns and differences and to examine the effects of these patterns and differences on longevity in Thai people. The data consists of two secondary data sources, collected by the Ministry of Public Health: 1) the causes of death data were collected annually and summarized from death registrations from 1996-2000. These data sets have been systemically improved since 1996; 2) The Verbal autopsy study was a retrospective survey conducted in 1996 that asked the closest relatives of the deceased questions about the cause of death one year after the death. The survey used a sample from ten provinces to represent the nation.
The life table is a tool to estimate life expectancy and to identify causes of death. By eliminating certain cuases of death, it can more precisely give life expectancy and it can also show patterns in causes of death and life expectancy. It also can predict gender differentials in life expectancy at birth.
The results show that the major causes of premature death among thais are accidents and AIDS, and males lose more years of life than females. The years of life gained through the lessening of neoplasms and heart diseases as causes of death explains increasing life expectancy, to the greater benefit, in this instance, of males. Through the decomposition method, we can say that in the specific causes of death by AIDS, transport accidents, heart diseases and neoplasm, males will have lives approximately 35-50% shorter than females.
In conclusion, we can say that for different gender and age groups which have the same cause of death, have are different life expectancies and different years of life gained or lost depending on the particular cause of death.