[Demographic study of ages and causes of death which contribute to gender disparities in life expectancy--case of Switzerland (1969-1993)]. / Etude démographique des âges et des causes de décès qui contribuent aux disparités sexuelles d'espérance de vie--cas de la Suisse (1969-1993).

BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, women live about six years more than men. The purpose of our study was to measure and describe the respective contributions of the various age groups and causes of death to the difference in life expectancy at birth between men and women. METHODS: With an analytical demographic method, this difference in life expectancy can be distributed according to age and cause of death. The contribution of each age and cause can be discussed. RESULTS: All ages and quite all causes of death contribute to overmortality in men. Age groups over 50, as well as circulatory diseases and malignant neoplasms, contribute most to gender disparities in longevity while violent deaths play a less important role. CONCLUSIONS: Any attempt to reduce gender mortality disparities would involve the modification of a number of etiological factors, including biological factors or those linked to lifestyle.

[Impact of smoking on mortality of the Swiss population and 1988/1993 life expectancy]. / L'impact du tabagisme sur la mortalité des Suisses et sur leur durée de vie en 1988/1993.

The elaboration of new mortality tables by the Swiss statistical office has allowed to estimate the impact of different pathology or risk factors on the average life duration of the resident population in Switzerland. Thus, attributable death of the smoking habits have for effect to decrease the life expectancy of swiss citizens of 2.9 years for men and 0.7 years for women, for the period 1988/1993. The calculation of mortality rates attributable to this factor of risk shows nevertheless that the risk of death has decreased since the end of years 1960 for all quinquennial age groups between 35 and 74 years. The smoking habits would be responsible of approximately 16% of deaths observed in the swiss population and 20% of premature deaths (between 25 and 64 years). The present analysis shows furthermore that different evolutions of the mortality associated with the smoking habits characterize men and women.

[A dynamic approach to the study of differences in life expectancy by sex in Switzerland from 1910-1911 to 1988-1993. An application of the decomposition methods developed by Pollard and d'Arriaga]. / Approche dynamique de la difference d'esperance de vie entre hommes et femmes en Suisse, entre 1910/11 et 1988/93. Une application des methodes de decomposition de Pollard et d'Arriaga.

PIP: Reasons for the differences in life expectancy by sex in Switzerland, which have increased over the course of the twentieth century, are examined. "The purpose of this study is to estimate, on the basis of two demographic methods, which ages contributed to the differences in life expectancy by gender during the course of the century. While infant mortality explained the majority of these differences between the genders in 1910/11, this is no longer the case nowadays. Excess male mortality among members of the working-age population, and especially in the older age groups, explains both the differences in average longevity between the sexes and how these differences develop. Seen from another angle, the causes of death which contribute most to these gender disparities, ranked in order of importance, are cancers, violent deaths and ischaemic cardiac disorders." (EXCERPT)^ieng

Cancer mortality among north African migrants in France.

BACKGROUND: Data on cancer mortality in North African migrants to France (the largest foreign-born community in the country) are presented, providing useful insights both into cancer patterns in North Africa and their changes following migration. METHODS: The cancer mortality in migrants from North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt) resident in France relative to that of the local-born population, is estimated from mortality data for the period 1979-1985, and population data from the 1982 French census. Risks of death from different cancers were adjusted for important confounding factors such as social status and area of residence. RESULTS: The risks are quite similar for Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan migrants. Compared to the local-born, those Maghrebian migrants of one or both sexes have higher risks of death from cancer of the nasopharynx, gallbladder and bladder (in Algerians only). Conversely, Maghrebian migrants have lower risks of death from cancer of the oral cavity, other pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, lung, larynx, melanoma (in Algerians only), kidney and nervous system (except in Tunisians), breast, ovary, and cervix uteri (except in Moroccans). For Egyptian migrants, because of small numbers, few of the estimates are statistically significant. They are at lower risk of death from lung cancer and at higher risk for lymphoma and leukaemia. CONCLUSION: The findings provide confirmatory evidence of the unusual cancer patterns among North African populations, who have low risks for most cancer sites, and high risks for certain cancers, such as of the nasopharynx and bladder.

[Life style and health behavior of southern European and North African immigrants in France]. / Habitudes de vie et comportements en matière de santé des immigrés de l'Europe du sud et du Maghreb en France.

Using data from a French national survey, preventive and dietary habits, alcohol and smoking consumption of three groups of migrants (Italy, Spain and Portugal, Maghreb) were compared to those of French nationals. Odds ratios were estimated using a logistic regression, after adjustment by age, socio-professional group and place of residence. Differences in attitude were observed, in particular: lower primary and secondary practice of prevention; lower consumption of meat and dairy products and higher consumption of starchy food and dried vegetables; lower consumption of alcohol and higher tobacco intake among Maghrebian migrants. The observed differences were interpreted in the light of other available data in France. They confirm notably imported dietary habits and a weaker perception of preventive messages, as shown in other studies.

Cancer mortality among sub-Saharan African migrants in France.

Not only are there few data on sub-Saharan migrant populations, but relatively little information is available on cancer patterns in Africa. This report presents cancer mortality patterns among the 290,000 sub-Saharan African migrants in France. Risks of mortality from different cancers in migrants born in West, Central, East, and 'Other' parts of Africa have been compared with that observed in the local-born population, using mortality data from the period 1979-85 and population data from the 1982 French census. Relative risks were adjusted for important confounding factors such as social class and area of residence. Compared with natives, overall mortality from cancer is lower in sub-Saharan African migrants. Higher cancer mortality risks, however, are observed among males for several sites: liver in Central and West Africans; bladder in West Africans; and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Other African migrants. For females, risks were elevated for nasopharyngeal cancers in Other African and liver in West African migrants. The results are, for the most part, consistent with the few available data on cancer patterns in Africa, and with the patterns observed in African migrants to England and Wales (UK).

[Cancer mortality among Swiss migrants in France]. / La mortalité par cancer chez les migrants suisses en France.

Using French mortality data for the period 1979 to 1985, risks of death for cancer in Swiss migrants were calculated relative to these in the locally born. In the absence of valid population data for Swiss migrants, risks were estimated using a case-control approach, considering as cases cancer deaths at one specific site, and as controls all other deaths. In order to evaluate the change in risks after migration, death risks in Switzerland, compared to French natives, were calculated using a Poisson regression. For most of the cancer deaths, the risk in Swiss migrants is intermediate between that of their country of origin and that of the host country. Compared with French-born, Swiss migrants maintain however a significantly higher risk for lung cancer, urinary bladder cancer and melanoma in males, for breast cancer in females, and for non-Hodgkin lymphomas in both sexes. In contrast, the risk is significantly lower for liver cancer in male Swiss migrants. The observed differences are interpreted in the light of the available consumption data in both countries.