Preliminary communication
SOME NOTES ON NATALITY, MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN RIJEKA REGION AFTER WORLD WAR II
Ante Škrobonja
; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of this work is to stimulate thought on achieved and possible ways of more intensive inclusion of medicine and other segments of the society in the affirmation of family values, through presentation of some notes on natality, morbidity and mortality in Rijeka region after World War II. Official reports on health conditions in Rijeka were used for the research for one decade over a fifty year period from 1964 till 2004. Visual indicators, general morbidity and leading causes of death are analyzed. The analyzed period establishes: permanent increase of population, unchanged rate of mortality, considerable declining rates of still born children and infant mortality, constant decline of newborn children and negative natural growth; thus, the general growth of population is a result of immigration. Though in the actual morbidity, the incidence of respiratory diseases is leading, the most impressive is the triple increase of circulatory and blood organ diseases and the doubled rate of malformations. As far as general mortality, every other person dies due to heart and circulatory system disease, and every fourth citizen dies due to malformations. In the conclusion it is pointed out that the mentioned negative manifestations having tendency of further aggravations, are evident reflections of global change of life, with the proximate cause of changed relations within the family too. By reaffirmation of traditional family values, with the engagement of the whole society, and medicine too, it may be possible, if not to repel, but at least to mitigate numerous negative trends, including those evident in the structure of actual morbidity.
Keywords
Morbidity; mortality; family; and public health; Rijeka; the 20th century
Hrčak ID:
221070
URI
Publication date:
5.2.2007.
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