Sowards K A
Department of Sociology, Washington State University, Vancouver 98686, USA.
Am J Public Health. 1999 Nov;89(11):1752-4. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.11.1752.
According to vital statistics reports, congenital malformation is the leading cause of infant death in the United States and accounts for a much greater proportion of infant mortality than does premature birth. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential underestimation of prematurity-related mortality in current vital statistics reports.
National mortality data from 1985, 1991, and 1996 were analyzed.
The official statistics significantly understate the role of prematurity-related mortality. An alternative etiology-based classification designates prematurity as the underlying cause in approximately one third of all infant deaths.
Although no single scheme is suitable for every objective, analysts and policymakers should recognize the degree to which technical classification practices can influence the apparent importance of various causes of death.
根据生命统计报告,先天性畸形是美国婴儿死亡的主要原因,在婴儿死亡率中所占比例远高于早产。本研究的目的是检验当前生命统计报告中与早产相关死亡率可能被低估的情况。
分析了1985年、1991年和1996年的全国死亡率数据。
官方统计数据严重低估了与早产相关死亡率的作用。一种基于病因的替代分类法将早产指定为约三分之一婴儿死亡的根本原因。
虽然没有一种单一的方案适用于所有目标,但分析人员和政策制定者应认识到技术分类方法会在何种程度上影响各种死因的表面重要性。