When disadvantaged cohorts impact a period‘s mortality deterioration: the Czech Republic versus France

Jitka Rychtarikova, Charles University in Prague
Jindra Reissigova, Czech Academy of Sciences

The deterioration of mortality patterns in former communist countries, observed between 1965 and 1990, is usually ascribed to worsened sanitary conditions, poor dietary habits, social and economic stress factors, poor environmental conditions, etc. On the other side, a massive decline of mortality from cardiovascular diseases (termed cardiovascular revolution) has been observed in the Western Europe since the early 1970’s and thus has contributed to substantial advances in life expectancy there. In the context of the above outlined different trends, the following questions can be raised: 1) Can a period‘s mortality trend be solely explained by changes in cross-sectional conditions? 2) How did low and high mortality cohorts contribute to the currently observed mortality patterns? 3) Is the mortality deterioration, reported between 1965 and 1990 in the Czech Republic enhanced by the participation of high mortality cohorts? 4) Has the impact of cardiovascular revolution in France been so strong that it has significantly improved adult and elderly life of males (unlike in the Czech Republic) who took part and survived the World War I? The contribution addresses long-term mortality trends (1920-2014) in the Czech Republic (within the same historical territory) and France, for males who are analysed as representatives of a former socialist country and of a capitalist low mortality country. First will be shown, mortality trends for 30-94 completed ages from a period view (1920-2014) and a cohort perspective (1830-1980). Next, using loglinear modelling, the AP (age-period) and AC (age-cohort) trends will be summarized (adjusted for age). Finally, the APC models (taking in account the identification problem) will show net cohort and period effects (controlled for age). Data include deaths and midyear population by units of age (30-94 completed years) for the period 1920-2014 in the Czech Republic and 1920-2013 for France.