International Handbook of Adult Mortality

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Richard G. Rogers, Eileen M. Crimmins

   Pages 1-6

3. Temporal and Spatial Trends Associated with Mortality

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

      PDF

   2. Historical Trends in Mortality

      • France Meslé, Jacques Vallin

      Pages 9-47

   3. Adult Mortality in Europe

      • Marc Luy, Christian Wegner, Wolfgang Lutz

      Pages 49-81

   4. Adult Mortality in the Former Soviet Union

      • Michael Murphy

      Pages 83-100

   5. Adult Mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean

      • Alberto Palloni, Guido Pinto-Aguirre

      Pages 101-132

   6. Adult Mortality in Asia

      • Zhongwei Zhao

      Pages 133-150

   7. Adult Mortality in Africa

      • Georges Reniers, Bruno Masquelier, Patrick Gerland

      Pages 151-170

   8. Global Trends in AIDS Mortality

      • John P. Bongaarts, François Pelletier, Patrick Gerland

      Pages 171-183

4. Sociodemographic, Economic, Behavioral, and Psychological Determinants of Mortality

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 185-185

      PDF

5. Sociodemographic,Economic,Behavioral,and Psychological Determinants of Mortality

   1. Early Life Conditions and Later Life Mortality

      • Jennifer Karas Montez, Mark D. Hayward

      Pages 187-206

   2. Age Patterns in Adult Mortality

      • Jean-Marie Robine

      Pages 207-226

   3. Hispanic Paradox in Adult Mortality in the United States

      • Kyriakos S. Markides, Karl Eschbach

      Pages 227-240

   4. Educational Attainment and Adult Mortality

      • Robert A. Hummer, Joseph T. Lariscy

      Pages 241-261

   5. Work, Occupation, Income, and Mortality

      • Patrick M. Krueger, Sarah A. Burgard

      Pages 263-288

   6. Relationships Among Health Behaviors, Health, and Mortality

      • Christine L. Himes

      Pages 289-310

   7. Discrimination, Chronic Stress, and Mortality Among Black Americans: A Life Course Framework

      • James S. Jackson, Darrell Hudson, Kiarri Kershaw, Briana Mezuk, Jane Rafferty, Katherine Knight Tuttle

      Pages 311-328

   8. Self-Rated Health and Subjective Survival Probabilities as Predictors of Mortality

      • Marja Jylhä

      Pages 329-344

   9. Religion and Adult Mortality: Group- and Individual-Level Perspectives

      • Ellen L. Idler

      Pages 345-377

This handbook presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of unprecedented substantive, theoretical, methodological, and statistical developments and insights, and an in-depth examination of trends and patterns, in adult mortality around the world. With over two dozen chapters and more than 50 authors, this volume draws from top international mortality experts to provide one of the best overviews of life expectancy extant. The book documents remarkable gains in life expectancy, which stand out as one of the most important accomplishments of the twentieth century. Individuals in more developed countries can expect to live longer now than ever before, especially the Japanese who enjoy record-setting life expectancies. The book also explores unfortunate declines in life expectancy in selected countries brought on by such factors as infectious diseases; accidents, suicides, and homicides; and political and economic conflict and turmoil. This book synthesizes the wealth of mortality information available, clearly articulates the central findings to-date, identifies the most appropriate datasets and methods currently available, illuminates the central research questions, and develops an agenda to address these research questions. The authors carefully examine central factors related to mortality, including health behaviors, socioeconomic status, social relations, biomarkers, and genetic factors. The book will prove especially relevant to researchers, students, and policy makers within social and health sciences who want to better understand international trends and patterns in adult mortality.

• AIDS mortality
• Adult mortality
• Africa
• Age patterns
• Asia
• Biological risk factors
• Biomarkers
• Black Americans
• Caribbean
• Causes of death
• Demographic datasets and methods
• Early life conditions
• Europe
• Former Sovjet Union
• Genetic factors
• Health behaviors
• Homicide
• Infectious disease
• Japanese life expectancy
• Latin America
• Life expectancy
• Neighborhood effects
• Political Economic conflict
• Religion
• Social relations
• Suicide
• United States

"Over the past few decades researchers have generated numerous publications highlighting advances in trends and determinants of adult mortality changes.  Now, Richard Rogers and Eileen Crimmins have engaged many of the leading contributors to that storehouse of information to place in a single volume the present state of knowledge about human adult mortality, its variations over time and place and its many causes, as well as influential policy formulations.  The book’s rich and elaborate treatment of the subject, including methodological considerations and extensive literature reviews, establishes a benchmark for monitoring future developments of the subject that other researchers and students will rely on for years to come".

Charles B. Nam, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus, Florida State University

"There is very considerable diversity both within and among countries in the mortality experience of adults, and this diversity is well captured, described and explained in the course of this book. This wide-ranging and exhaustive collection of studies of adult mortality gives a fascinating account. A complete analysis of the characteristics of adult morality and its extension to the morbid process preceding death, but above all the involvement of scholars from various disciplines, make this book an important reference point not only for the academic world – researchers, teachers and students – but also for the political world and those working in the health services. Its contents are particularly valuable for implementing health and social policies that aim to reduce the consequences of inequality and thus to provide better health for all".

Graziella Caselli, University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

"This book is a landmark publication. It comes close to being a recipe for a long and healthy life. The book lays out the factors that explain the gains in life expectancy and healthexpectancy witnessed across the world. They are genetic, behavioral, social, environmental and institutional. Richard Rogers and Eileen Crimmins assembled an interdisciplinary team of first-class scientists from different countries of the world to uncover the secrets of avoidable mortality and delayed morbidity. The book also documents why in some countries life expectancy stagnated and in some places even declined. The historical and global perspective on mortality change makes the International Handbook of Adult Mortality a must-read for anyone interested in living longer and postponing disease and disability. The book will be a standard reference for years to come".

Frans Willekens, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)

"An outstanding job of organizing and synthesizing knowledge in all of the important areas of research on adult mortality. By consolidating a surprisingly rich array of major research accomplishments, the volume sets the stage for rapid advances in the future."

Samuel H. Preston, Fredrick J. Warren Professor of Demography, University of Pennsylvania

• Dept. Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, USA

  Richard G. Rogers

• Davis School of Gerontology, Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

  Eileen M. Crimmins

Policies and ethics