Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates

<br><strong>Background: </strong>Vital statistics registration and census counts for Mexico may be incomplete, resulting in unreliable mortality indicators. <br><strong> Objective: </strong>We evaluate unadjusted mortality estimates for Mexico during 1990‒2016 and...

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Main Authors: Glei, D, Barajas Paz, A, Aburto, J, Barbieri, M
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 2021
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author Glei, D
Barajas Paz, A
Aburto, J
Barbieri, M
author_facet Glei, D
Barajas Paz, A
Aburto, J
Barbieri, M
author_sort Glei, D
collection OXFORD
description <br><strong>Background: </strong>Vital statistics registration and census counts for Mexico may be incomplete, resulting in unreliable mortality indicators. <br><strong> Objective: </strong>We evaluate unadjusted mortality estimates for Mexico during 1990‒2016 and compare them with other published estimates for Mexico and with the historical mortality patterns observed among the 41 Human Mortality Database (HMD) populations. Finally, we investigate the effect of various adjustments on estimated life expectancy. <br><strong> Methods: </strong>We apply the HMD methodology to the official vital statistics and census counts to construct unadjusted life table series for Mexico. Then we make adjustments by substituting revised estimates for child mortality and by fitting a log-quadratic model. <br><strong> Results: </strong>Adjusted estimates of mortality below age 5 derived by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) are up to 48% higher than our unadjusted estimates. Even in 2015, the IGME-adjusted estimates of child mortality remain at least 10% higher than our unadjusted estimates. Our analysis suggests that there may also be underestimation of mortality at both prime adult ages and the oldest ages. The log-quadratic model produced the lowest estimates of life expectancy at birth (3.8‒4.4 years lower than the unadjusted values in 1995). <br><strong> Conclusions: </strong>Unadjusted estimates are likely to underestimate mortality in Mexico, even in recent years. Adjustments may improve the accuracy of the mortality estimates, but we cannot adjudicate which set of adjusted estimates is closest to reality. <br><strong> Contribution: </strong>This is the first time the HMD methodology has been applied to the Mexican data.
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spelling oxford-uuid:bb1e4e6b-c9c1-4a5c-98a5-145ea8b78f8f2022-03-27T05:14:49ZMexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimatesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:bb1e4e6b-c9c1-4a5c-98a5-145ea8b78f8fEnglishSymplectic ElementsMax Planck Institute for Demographic Research2021Glei, DBarajas Paz, AAburto, JBarbieri, M<br><strong>Background: </strong>Vital statistics registration and census counts for Mexico may be incomplete, resulting in unreliable mortality indicators. <br><strong> Objective: </strong>We evaluate unadjusted mortality estimates for Mexico during 1990‒2016 and compare them with other published estimates for Mexico and with the historical mortality patterns observed among the 41 Human Mortality Database (HMD) populations. Finally, we investigate the effect of various adjustments on estimated life expectancy. <br><strong> Methods: </strong>We apply the HMD methodology to the official vital statistics and census counts to construct unadjusted life table series for Mexico. Then we make adjustments by substituting revised estimates for child mortality and by fitting a log-quadratic model. <br><strong> Results: </strong>Adjusted estimates of mortality below age 5 derived by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) are up to 48% higher than our unadjusted estimates. Even in 2015, the IGME-adjusted estimates of child mortality remain at least 10% higher than our unadjusted estimates. Our analysis suggests that there may also be underestimation of mortality at both prime adult ages and the oldest ages. The log-quadratic model produced the lowest estimates of life expectancy at birth (3.8‒4.4 years lower than the unadjusted values in 1995). <br><strong> Conclusions: </strong>Unadjusted estimates are likely to underestimate mortality in Mexico, even in recent years. Adjustments may improve the accuracy of the mortality estimates, but we cannot adjudicate which set of adjusted estimates is closest to reality. <br><strong> Contribution: </strong>This is the first time the HMD methodology has been applied to the Mexican data.
spellingShingle Glei, D
Barajas Paz, A
Aburto, J
Barbieri, M
Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
title Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
title_full Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
title_fullStr Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
title_full_unstemmed Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
title_short Mexican mortality 1990‒2016: comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
title_sort mexican mortality 1990 2016 comparison of unadjusted and adjusted estimates
work_keys_str_mv AT gleid mexicanmortality19902016comparisonofunadjustedandadjustedestimates
AT barajaspaza mexicanmortality19902016comparisonofunadjustedandadjustedestimates
AT aburtoj mexicanmortality19902016comparisonofunadjustedandadjustedestimates
AT barbierim mexicanmortality19902016comparisonofunadjustedandadjustedestimates