Patterns and trends in survival: Kazakhstan and post-communist countries confronted with low mortality populations

Abstract

This research primarily addresses mortality patterns and trends by main causes of death in the post-communist countries of Central Asia, Central Europe and the Baltic region together with low mortality populations such as those of France, Spain and the USA. The aim of this study is to analyze the changes in the mortality levels and its structure by the main causes of death by sex and age, and confronted with low mortality populations between the period of 1985 and 2005, respectively. The first (and main) part of the work therefore focuses on cause-specific mortality levels and its relative structure by main causes of death in the selected countries. Moreover, the different patterns of excess male mortality were also observed. The second part is concentrated at the age-standardized mortality levels by main causes of death. The research identified several important issues encasing the field of mortality, especially in the cause-specific mortality situation in Central Asian republics.