Socioeconomic Differences In Old Age Mortality (the Springer Series On Demographic Methods And Population Analysis)

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Social differences in health and mortality constitute a persistent finding in epidemiological, demographic, and sociological research. This topic is increasingly discussed in the political debate and is among the most urgent public health issues. However, it is still unknown if socioeconomic mortality differences increase or decrease with age. This book provides a comprehensive, thoughtful and critical discussion of all aspects involved in the relationship between socioeconomic status, health and mortality. In a well-written language, it synthesizes the sociological theory of social inequality and an empirical study of mortality differences that has been performed at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (Rostock, Germany). The best available datasets from Denmark and the USA, as two very different countries, are used to analyze the age pattern of social mortality differences, the Danish register data covering the whole Danish population between 1980 and 2002. This study is the most comprehensive analysis of socioeconomic mortality differences in the literature, in terms of data quantity, quality, and the statistical method of event-history modeling. It makes important new theoretical and empirical contributions. With a new method it also addresses the question whether the measurement of social mortality differences in old age so far has been biased by mortality selection due to unobserved heterogeneity.   "This book signifies an important step forward in theory, empirical data analysis and methodology and an advancement for many disciplines involved in the subject of socioeconomic differences in old age mortality". Prof. Dr. Gabriele Doblhammer, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany

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Socioeconomic Differences in Old Age Mortality THE SPRINGER SERIES ON DEMOGRAPHIC METHODS AND POPULATION ANALYSIS Series Editor KENNETH C. LAND Duke University In recent decades, there has been a rapid development of demographic models and methods and an explosive growth in the range of applications of population analysis. This series seeks to provide a publication outlet both for high-quality textual and expository books on modern techniques of demographic analysis and for works that present exemplary applications of such techniques to various aspects of population analysis. Topics appropriate for the series include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • General demographic methods Techniques of standardization Life table models and methods Multistate and multiregional life tables, analyses and projections Demographic aspects of biostatistics and epidemiology Stable population theory and its extensions Methods of indirect estimation Stochastic population models Event history analysis, duration analysis, and hazard regression models Demographic projection methods and population forecasts Techniques of applied demographic analysis, regional and local population estimates and projections Methods of estimation and projection for business and health care applications Methods and estimates for unique populations such as schools and students Volumes in the series are of interest to researchers, professionals, and students in demography, sociology, economics, statistics, geography and regional science, public health and health care management, epidemiology, biostatistics, actuarial science, business, and related fields. For other titles published in this series, go to www.springer.com/series/6224 Socioeconomic Differences in Old Age Mortality by Rasmus Hoffmann Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany and University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany 123 Rasmus Hoffmann Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Konrad Zuse Strasse 1 18057 Rostock Germany