TY - JOUR

T1 - Child mortality in Stockholm during 1885-1910

T2 - the impact of household size and number of children in the family on the risk of death from measles

AU - Burström, B

AU - Diderichsen, Finn

AU - Smedman, L

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - Previous studies have associated overcrowding at the household level with increased mortality, especially from airborne diseases. This association may be confounded by associations with adverse socioeconomic conditions or low age at infection. This study investigated the effect of crowding on the risk of measles death. Individual entries in a population-based register and on death certificates for children aged 0-15 years living in one parish in Stockholm in 1885, 1891, and 1910 (n = 36,718) were used to analyze cause-specific and overall death rates in relation to household size and the number of children in the household, using Cox regression analysis. Bivariate analysis identified significant relations between crowding and the cause-specific risk of death, which were subsequently tested while controlling for other known risk factors for childhood death. Significant negative associations between crowding and the risk of death from pneumonia and bronchitis disappeared when controlling for other risk factors. A negative association between the risk of overall death and large household size became significantly positive when controlling for other risk factors. The increased risk of death from measles associated with proxies for crowding remained after controlling for other risk factors. In conclusion, crowding may have a statistically independent effect on the risk of death from measles.

AB - Previous studies have associated overcrowding at the household level with increased mortality, especially from airborne diseases. This association may be confounded by associations with adverse socioeconomic conditions or low age at infection. This study investigated the effect of crowding on the risk of measles death. Individual entries in a population-based register and on death certificates for children aged 0-15 years living in one parish in Stockholm in 1885, 1891, and 1910 (n = 36,718) were used to analyze cause-specific and overall death rates in relation to household size and the number of children in the household, using Cox regression analysis. Bivariate analysis identified significant relations between crowding and the cause-specific risk of death, which were subsequently tested while controlling for other known risk factors for childhood death. Significant negative associations between crowding and the risk of death from pneumonia and bronchitis disappeared when controlling for other risk factors. A negative association between the risk of overall death and large household size became significantly positive when controlling for other risk factors. The increased risk of death from measles associated with proxies for crowding remained after controlling for other risk factors. In conclusion, crowding may have a statistically independent effect on the risk of death from measles.

KW - Age Distribution

KW - Cause of Death

KW - Child

KW - Family Characteristics

KW - Female

KW - History, 19th Century

KW - History, 20th Century

KW - Humans

KW - Infant

KW - Infant Mortality

KW - Male

KW - Measles

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Sweden

U2 - 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009768

DO - 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009768

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 10369508

VL - 149

SP - 1134

EP - 1141

JO - American Journal of Epidemiology

JF - American Journal of Epidemiology

SN - 0002-9262

IS - 12

ER -