Mortality Decomposition of South Korea and Japan: Sex Differentials in Causes of Death

Ju-Hong Lee, University of Wisconsin at Madison

The purpose of this study is to describe how sex differentials in mortality in terms of causes of death have changed over time in South Korea and Japan. Two main research questions are, first, the relative contribution of major causes of death to sex differences in the average length of life in two countries. Second research question is whether the contribution of each age group has been changed substantially as the age composition has changed. Time periods of interest is from 1983 to 2003 when the last stage of epidemiologic transition is in progress in both countries. Vital statistics and Census are analyzed by using decomposition technique in order to describe changing pattern of causes of death that would maintain or change convergence and divergence pattern of sex gap in mortality in both countries during the past two decades.