Citation

Jacobsen R, Von Euler M, Osler M, Lynge E, Keiding N. Eur. J. Epidemiol. 2004; 19(2): 117-121.

Affiliation

Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Denmark. R.jacobsen@pubhealth.ku.dk

Comment In:

Eur J Epidemiol 2004;19(2):97-8.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15074566

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the mortality for women in Sweden, Norway and Denmark in order to search for clues for the low life expectancy of Danish women. METHODS: Prospective age-period-cohort study covering 40 years for all Swedish, Norwegian and Danish women aged 40-84 during the period 1960-2000, and born 1900-1950. OUTCOME MEASURES: Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for deaths. RESULTS: The high risk of dying among Danish women was associated with being born between the two World Wars, and that a similar pattern was not found for women in Norway and Sweden. A tendency of a cohort effect was observed for Swedish women born around 1940. CONCLUSIONS: The currently low life expectancy of Danish women compared with that of women in Norway and Sweden is partly a transitional phenomenon caused by excessive death rates for women born between the two World Wars. Data on smoking prevalence by birth cohort and age indicate that a high percentage of Danish women in these cohorts were smokers throughout their adult life.

Language: en