[Multiple causes of death in Asturias, 1988]. / Estudio de las causas múltiples de defunción en Asturias, 1988.

To analyse the frequency of the cause of death in the mortality statistical Bulletin, a study of a representative sample of the 1988 mortality statistical Bulletin (n = 595) of Asturias was conducted. The mean and the mode of the number of causes and also the complexity and density according to age and sex was analyzed. The mode of the total number of causes in Bulletins for both sexes was 3, and the mean was 3.14. The three lines (complexity) were occupied in almost 50% of the Bulletins analysed. With respect to the density of lines, line IIb (initial cause) was the one occupied most of the time (10.7%), this showing more than one diagnosis when it was the last line used. Both values, complexity and density of the last line used, increased proportionally with the age at death. This analysis was also carried out excluding the causes coded as Cardiac and Respiratory Arrest (ICD-9 = 427.5; 799.1). With these results, it was possible to confirm the usefulness of the coding of multiple causes of death in Asturias, Spain.

[Lung cancer mortality trends in Asturias (1976-1989)]. / Tendencia de la mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón en Asturias (1976-1989).

BACKGROUND: The Trend of lung cancer mortality rates in Asturias during 14 years is studied in order to know whether it shows the same change pattern described for other countries. METHODS: With this purpose, a graphic study of adjusted and age specific rates, including and analysis of birth cohorts, is carried out, and the change average percentage per year and the sex ratio are calculated. RESULTS: In men, the continuous increase of mortality stands out (change average percentage per year of age adjusted rates of 4.83%) with the only exception of the age group of 45-54 years, which had a variation per year of 1.90%, whereas in women, an overall decrease (-1.18 %) was observed, with the exception of women older than 74 years, who showed an increase of 1.73% per year. In men, the cohorts analysis showed on increasing cohort effect in all generations and a decreasing effect in some women. CONCLUSIONS: Lung cancer will probably go on increasing in Asturias in the next years, among men, whereas in women, it seems that a generalized decrease has been initiated, mainly in the youngest ones and the, increase, observed in other countries in previous years, is not evident. Additional studies, focused on the reasons for these trends, will be necessary and basically the following up of the evolution in men of 45-54 years, whose incipient decrease may indicate a change of trend, which facilitates hypothesis generation and verification.