Medicus, Vol. 14 No. 2_Gerijatrija, 2005.
Review article
Comparison of Geriatric Mortality in Croatia and Potential Years of Life Lost (2000 – 2004)
Mirjana Lipovšćak
Goran Perko
Spomenka Tomek-Roksandić
Hrvoje Radašević
Josip Čulig
Mate Ljubičić
Marija Strnad
Abstract
The accelerated aging of the Croatian
population changes the structure of mortality, morbidity and
health care use in the entire population. This further increases
the public health interest in the connection between the
age of the population and the effective fulfi lment of health
needs of the elderly. Gerontologic-public health analysis of the
proportion of deceased people 65 years of age and older, with
the recorded total number of 193 717 in the period from 2000
to 2004, shows its constant growth: 75.1% in 2000, 75.5% in
2001, 76.8% in 2002, 77.9% in 2003, and 78.0% in 2004.
The general mortality rate was the highest in 2003 (11.8‰). A
specifi c mortality rate, i.e. those for people of 65 years of age
and older per 1000 inhabitants of the same age, was also the
highest in 2003, i.e. 56.2‰. Gerontologic analysis of deceased
persons of 65 years of age and older within leading groups of
fatal diseases in 2004 shows their high ratio, i.e. 87.4% in the
total number of 24959 of deceased due to circulatory diseases
(I00-I99) in Croatia and 86.7% in the City of Zagreb. In Croatia in
2004, deceased persons of 65 years of age and older accounted
for a high 89.3% per total of 2895 deceased due to respiratory
diseases (J00-J99), 68.0% per total of 12408 deceased due to
neoplasms (C00-D48), 63.7% per total of 2370 deceased due
to gastrointestinal diseases (K00-K93), and 45.1% per total
of 2870 deceased due to injuries, poisoning and some other
external causes (S00-T98). The focused gerontologic-public
health indicators on morbidity, functional disability and mortality
in the elderly are the basis for the development of an adequate
and effi cient Programme of Medical Measures and Procedures
in Elderly Health Care, which includes the implementation and
evaluation of the Programme of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Prevention for the Elderly. Its objective is to prevent premature
death and upgrade health care and functional abilities of senior
citizens in Croatia up to old age.
Keywords
elderly people; mortality; potential years of life lost; circulatory diseases; neoplasms; suicides; traffi c accidents
Hrčak ID:
18873
URI
Publication date:
17.10.2005.
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