Beyond the underlying cause of death: an algorithm to study multi-morbidity at death.

Background: In countries with high life expectancy, a growing share of the population is living with several diseases, a situation referred to as multi-morbidity. In addition to health data, cause-of-death data, based on the information reported on death certificates, can help monitor and characterize this situation. This requires going beyond the underlying cause of death and accounting for all causes on the death certificates which may have played various roles in the morbid process, depending on how they relate to each other.

Frailty at death: An examination of multiple causes of death in four low mortality countries in 2017.

Background: The increasing prevalence of frailty in aging populations represents a major social and public health challenge which warrants a better understanding of the contribution of frailty to the morbid process.

Objective: To examine frailty-related mortality as reported on the death certificate in France, Italy, Spain and the United States in 2017.

Methods: We identify frailty at death for the population aged 50 years and over in France, Italy, Spain and the United States.

Multi-morbidity and frailty at death: A new classification of death records for an ageing world.

Mortality statistics based on underlying cause of death are challenged by increased life expectancy and the growing share of population reaching ages associated with frequent multi-morbidity (with death likely resulting from interactions between multiple diseases). We provide a novel way of analysing causes of death: accounting for all causes mentioned on death certificates and summarizing this information along two dimensions emblematic of ageing populations-multi-morbidity and frailty. We implement this classification for all deaths at ages 50+ in Italy in 2014.

The death toll of French former prisoners.

Several studies have documented that ex-prisoners are at higher risk of death than the general population but only one study, concerning one single prison, has examined the French case. This study relies on a nationally representative sample of all inmates released from French prisons between June and December 2002. A linkage between two administrative databases makes it possible to study mortality within 5 years after release.

Obesity-related mortality in France, Italy, and the United States: a comparison using multiple cause-of-death analysis.

Objectives: We investigate the reporting of obesity on death certificates in three countries (France, Italy, and the United States) with different levels of prevalence, and we examine which causes are frequently associated with obesity.

Methods: We use cause-of-death data for all deaths at ages 50-89 in 2010-2011. Since obesity may not be the underlying cause (UC) of death, we compute age- and sex-standardized death rates considering all mentions of obesity (multiple causes or MC).

After the epidemiologic transition: a reassessment of mortality from infectious diseases among over-65s in France and Italy.

Objectives: To assess more accurately the contribution of infectious diseases (IDs) to mortality at age 65+.

Methods: We use cause-of-death data for France and Italy in 2009. In addition to chapter I of the 10th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), our list of IDs includes numerous diseases classified in other chapters.

Mortality from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and dementias in France and Italy: a comparison using the multiple cause-of-death approach.

Objective: We perform an in-depth analysis of all death certificates collected in France and Italy with an entry of Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), or another dementia.

Method: Data are for 2008. We measure how frequently these conditions are the underlying cause of death.

Why do Italian people rate their health worse than French people do? An exploration of cross-country differentials of self-rated health.

The prevalence of bad self-rated health (SRH) varies considerably across countries. Here we present the results of a cross-national comparative study based on the data of National Health Surveys conducted in France and Italy. According to these data, 11% of the Italian and 6% of the French adult population aged between 45 and 74 rate their health as bad or very bad.