Regional Disparities of Mortality in the Federal Republic of Germany - article ; n°1 ; vol.9, pg 93-100

Franz-Josef Kemper, Günter Thieme

Description

Espace, populations, sociétés - Année 1991 - Volume 9 - Numéro 1 - Pages 93-100
Les disparités régionales de mortalité en République Fédérale d'Allemagne.
Cet article présente une analyse écologique des différences de mortalité en République Fédérale Allemande qui s'appuie sur l'étude de 75 régions aménagées. En plus de l'espérance de vie à la naissance pour les hommes et les femmes, on a étudié les taux spécifiques de mortalité par tranches d'âge : de la mortalité infantile à la mortalité précoce des personnes en activité professionnelle, jusqu'à la mortalité des personnes âgées. Grâce aux procédures statistiques de corrélation et à une analyse à régressions multiples, on a obtenu une évaluation quantitative de ces hypothèses. Les résultats montrent que des différences provenant de différents facteurs (situation économique, niveau d'éducation, état matrimonial, loisirs et tourisme, solde migratoire, soins médicaux) apparaissent de manière significative.
This paper presents an ecological analysis of mortality differences in the FRG on the basis of the 75 planning regions. In addition to life expectancy at birth for males and females selected age-specific mortality rates are studied, ranging from infant mortality and premature mortality of persons at working age to old age mortality. By means of the statistical procedures of correlation and multiple regression analysis a quantitative evaluation of these hypotheses is achieved. The results show that variables from different explanatory dimensions (economic situation, level of education, marital status, amenities and tourism, net migration, medical care) hold significant effects.
8 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: ESPACE-_POPULATIONS-_SOCIETES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1991
• Nombre de lectures: 45
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Franz-Josef Kemper
Günter Thieme
Regional Disparities of Mortality in the Federal Republic of
Germany
In: Espace, populations, sociétés, 1991-1. Les inégalités géographiques de la mortalité (II); The Geographical
Inequalities of Mortality (II). pp. 93-100.
Résumé
Les disparités régionales de mortalité en République Fédérale d'Allemagne.
Cet article présente une analyse écologique des différences de mortalité en République Fédérale Allemande qui s'appuie sur
l'étude de 75 régions aménagées. En plus de l'espérance de vie à la naissance pour les hommes et les femmes, on a étudié les
taux spécifiques de mortalité par tranches d'âge : de la mortalité infantile à la mortalité précoce des personnes en activité
professionnelle, jusqu'à la mortalité des personnes âgées. Grâce aux procédures statistiques de corrélation et à une analyse à
régressions multiples, on a obtenu une évaluation quantitative de ces hypothèses. Les résultats montrent que des différences
provenant de différents facteurs (situation économique, niveau d'éducation, état matrimonial, loisirs et tourisme, solde migratoire,
soins médicaux) apparaissent de manière significative.
Abstract
This paper presents an ecological analysis of mortality differences in the FRG on the basis of the 75 planning regions. In addition
to life expectancy at birth for males and females selected age-specific mortality rates are studied, ranging from infant mortality
and premature mortality of persons at working age to old age mortality. By means of the statistical procedures of correlation and
multiple regression analysis a quantitative evaluation of these hypotheses is achieved. The results show that variables from
different explanatory dimensions (economic situation, level of education, marital status, amenities and tourism, net migration,
medical care) hold significant effects.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Kemper Franz-Josef, Thieme Günter. Regional Disparities of Mortality in the Federal Republic of Germany . In: Espace,
populations, sociétés, 1991-1. Les inégalités géographiques de la mortalité (II); The Geographical Inequalities of Mortality (II).
pp. 93-100.
doi : 10.3406/espos.1991.1447
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/espos_0755-7809_1991_num_9_1_1447AftJ , A 53
Franz- Josef KEMPER Geographisches Institut
Gunter THIEME Universitât Bonn
Meckenheimer Allée 1 66
D-5300 Bonn 1
Regional Disparities of
Mortality in the Federal
Republic of Germany
1. INTRODUCTION
The FRG has received great attention different from traditional structures.
First some of the more important indicators among demographers and population geo
graphers for being (until recently) the of mortality are to be presented (1). In ad
country with the lowest fertility all over the dition to life expectancy at birth selected
world. Less extraordinary are West Ger age-specific mortality rates ranging from
many's mortality rates; with a life expec infant mortality and premature mortality of
tancy at birth of 72 years for men and 79 persons at working age to old age
years for women (1986) this country takes were studied. The first aim of the following
an inconspicuous position among the analytical part of our paper is to present a
group of developed industrialized count useful subdivision of the complex of po
ries. This situation may be one of the rea tential determinants and to relate them to
sons for the scarcity of publications on the dependent mortality variables by plau
German mortality in comparison with oth sible hypotheses. By means of the statisti
er European countries. cal procedures of correlation and multiple
regression analysis a quantitative evaluaNonetheless, the analysis of mortality dif
ferentials in the FRG is a promising field tion of these hypotheses is to be achieved,
for population geographers since there are as far as this is possible considering the
still considerable regional disparities of complexity of the phenomena studied. As
spatial units the 75 planning regions of the mortality whose spatial patterns, moreov
FRG were used. er, in some aspects are fundamentally
(1) Valuable help concerning the data base of this Landeskunde und Raumordnung, particularly by Dr.
paper was given by the Bundesforschungsanstalt fur Hansjorg Bûcher. 94
2. INDICATORS OF MORTALITY
As a measure of the spatial variation of in detail here. The mortality of the 15-64
overall mortality the expectation of life at year-olds is closely connected with the re
birth in 1986 was calculated for men and gional distribution of life expectancy at
women separately. The map of male life birth. This «premature mortality» is char
expectancy (Fig. 1) shows a spatial pattern acterized by highly significant mortality
differentials between the sexes. The indithat obviously is far from accidental, with
a distinctly privileged position of the south cator values for males are almost twice as
of the country. The spatial distribution of high as those for females. The distribution
female life expectancy (Fig. 2) is remarka of this mortality rate for males is presented
bly similar to male life expectancy, with in Fig. 3. On the whole, northern and east
high rates in the south and a relatively low ern Bavaria, the Saarland and Westpfalz,
expectation of life in the coal, iron and the Ruhr area, large parts of Niedersachsen
steel regions and in the Hamburg area. On and West Berlin are faced with a relatively
the whole the regional variation of female high mortality risk while the states of Ba
den- Wurttemberg and Hessen as well as life expectancy is somewhat smaller.
Three groups are distinguished considering single regions with big universities come
off well. Again, the regional variations are the differentiation of mortality by age.
Children up to the age of one year make up great, with a coefficient of variation of
the first group which cannot be discussed 12.8%.
Fig. 1: Life expectancy at birth (males), 1986. Fig. 2: Life expectancy at birth (females), 1986. J&3U
95
The last age group to be examined are oldei
people above sixty. The mean mortality
rate of this age group in the FRG is 5.80%
for males and 4.15% for females. West
Berlin holds an extreme position in both
distributions which must partly be attri
buted to a very high proportion of persons
over seventy.
The map of mortality rates of females over
sixty (Fig. 4) shows some familiar patterns
such as the privileged position of south
west Germany and southern Bavaria as
well as high mortality in northern Bavaria.
Apart from the regions of Pfalz and Saar
land and parts of the Ruhr the Hamburg
region stands out by mortality rates above
average.
The pattern of male old age mortality veiy
much resembles its female counterpart.
By and large this inspection of the spatial
distribution of mortality indicators in the
FRG demonstrates two things: first there
are marked regional mortality different
ials even today, and second these dispari
ties are related to regional variations of
economic structures and living conditions
which cannot simply be explained by con
trasts of town and country or differences in
the degree of agglomeration. Fig. 3: Infant mortality rate (average 1985-87).
3. DETERMINANTS OF MORTALITY
Mortality is known to be an extraordinarily 1986, 390). According to this conception
complex phenomenon, variables like life the factors «human biology», «environ
expectancy or various age-specific mortali ment», «lifestyle» and «health care»/are
ty rates are determined by numerous fac considered to be crucial determinants of
tors which in turn may be closely interde human health.
pendent. Analysing these matters it would Undoubtedly there is a close and immedia
be just as inappropriate to state monocau- te connection between these systems of
sal relations as to rely on an interpretation variables and morbidity and mortality.
of single statistical connections between Within the framework of a study on re
the dependent and the predictor variables gional inequalities of illness and death,
without taking into account their interrela however, a factor like «human biology» is
tions. In spite of these reservations it does hardly suitable because it seeks to repre
appear possible to identify specific cate sent the biological and genetic basis of man
gories of determinants and to connect them and is therefore primarily based on the in
with the different indicators of mortality by dividual constitution. Other difficulties
plausible hypotheses. A starting-point may arise when the unquestionably important
be given by the so-called Health Field matter of lifestyle is concerned. There ob
Concept developed by the Canadian de viously exist regional differences, e.g. of
partment of Health and Welfare (cf. HOWE eating, drinking and smoking habits, but 96
Fig. 4: Mortality rate (males aged 15-64, average Fig. 5: Mortality rate