Showing posts with label demographics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label demographics. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Short lifespan of Russians blamed on alcohol and tobacco

8/25/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


If the average age of death is 78 years among American men and about 64 among Filipinos, with Russian men, its below 60 years old. More than half of all Russian deaths at ages 15 to 54 can be attributed to alcohol and/or to cigarette smoking.

“A study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, finds alcohol and tobacco consumption account for Russia's higher death rate compared to western Europe.”----VOA (08/24/09, Ardayeva, A)

United Nations disclosed that the Russian population is shrinking by half a percent per year due early deaths. The demographic crisis which alarms authorities makes deaths more common than births. Though the government launched an advertising campaign to discourage smoking and drinking, cigarette is peddled cheaply at 30 cents per pack and beer at less than a 1 dollar per bottle. It is said the average Russian adult drinks 50 bottles of vodka per year. (Photo Credit: fiona@flickr) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Survey says a rising number of Americans have “no religion”

3/12/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


The poll made by Program of Public Virtues of Trinity College in Hartford, CT between February and November last year reported that only 76.7% of Americans identified themselves as Christians, a 9.5% decline from the 86.2% in the 1990’s. Most of the attrition comes from non-Catholic denominations. The percentage of Catholics has significantly increased in the Southwest, greater than in the Northeast, shifting attention to the needs of Hispanics in the Roman Catholic Church.

Additional findings of the American Religious Identification Survey include:
1. Americans claiming “no religion” is up from 8.8% in 1990 to 14.2% in 2001 and 15% in 2008
2. Between 2001 and 2008, 4.7 million Americans claimed to have “no religion”
3. Northern New England is ahead of the Pacific Northwest as the least religious section of the country, with Vermont, at 34% with “no religion” leading all other states by 9 points.
4. 90% of the decline among Christians comes from the non-Catholic segment of the Christian population, mostly from mainline denominations, including Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians/Anglicans, and the United Church of Christ. Source: http://usnews.com/ (03/09/0, Gilgoff. D)

This may represent a changing culture---- the rising secularization of United States where having “no religion” has turned to be more socially acceptable than a decade ago. The demographic shift among believers and non-believers may affect the way Americans think, vote, and live on issues like abortion, stem cell research, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and education among others as liberals, leftists, and secular progressives veer away from the Judeo-Christian tradition which is the cornerstone of the moral and cultural values of America since it was established. (Photo Credit emardaalvinbabista) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Top 10 leading causes of death: Philippines (2003) & USA (2005)

12/11/2008 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


Ten Leading Causes of Mortality Philippines, 2003

---------------------------------------Male-----Female-----Total--Rate^--Percent*
1. Heart Diseases----------------38,677---29,019-----67,696--83.5--17.1
2. Vascular System Diseases--29,054---22,814-----51,868--64.0--13.1
3. Malignant Neoplasm----------20,634---18,664-----39,298--48.5--9.9
4. Accidents-----------------------27,720---6,246------33,966--41.9--8.6
5. Pneumonia---------------------15,831---16,224-----32,055--39.5--8.1
6. Tuberculosis, all forms-------18,367---8,404----- 26,771--33.0--6.8
7. Symptoms, signs and abnormal
clinical, laboratory findings,
NEC---------------------------------10,740---10,623-----21,363--26.3--5.4
8. Chronic lower resp. dis. -----12,998---5,907------18,905--23.3--4.8
9. Diabetes Mellitus--------------6,823----7,373------14,196--17.5--3.6
10. Certain conditions
originating in the
perinatal period-------------------8,397----5,725------14,122--17.4--3.6

Source: The 2003 Philippine Health Statistics
* Percent share from total deaths, all causes, Philippines
^ Rate per 100,000 population
Last Update: January 11, 2007

US Mortality 2005
-----------------------------------------Number of Deaths-------------% of all deaths
Heart Disease--------------------------652,091------------------------------26.6
Cancer----------------------------------559,312------------------------------22.8
Cerebrovascular Disease------------143,579-------------------------------5.9
Chronic Lower Resp. Dis. -----------130,933-------------------------------5.3
Accidents (unintentional) ------------117,809-----------------------------4.8
Diabetes mellitus-----------------------75,119------------------------------3.1
Alzheimer’s Disease -------------------71.599------------------------------2.9
Influenza & Pneumonia----------------63,001------------------------------2.6
Nephritis*-------------------------------- 43,901-----------------------------1.8
Septicemia-------------------------------34,131------------------------------1.4

*Includes Nephrotic Syndrome and Nephrosis

Source: US Mortality Data, 2005, National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009



What is striking in these two tables is the primacy of heart diseases as the top cause of death in both the Philippines and USA. This includes congenital heart problems such as hereditary valvular and septal anomalies; acquired heart illnesses like ischemic, coronary, hypertensive, cardiomyopathic, and infectious conditions are included.

However, in a new report on Dec 10, 2008, cancer is noted to be on the rise. It is expected to top the list of disease killers by the year 2010. The main cause given is the unabated use of tobacco---resulting to an increasing incidence of lung and respiratory malignancies particularly in developing countries.

One notes the exceedingly high accident mortality rate in both countries---deaths that are basically preventable. The vehicular-injuries mortality in the Philippines is strikingly more than 4x in males, those who ply the streets as drivers and travellers.

Greater than 2,000 children are killed every day, or about 830,000 every year, from injuries sustained in preventable accidents, a United Nations’ report said.---PDI (12/11/08, Uy,V)

If #7 NEC in the Philippine data means necrotizing enterocolitis and #10 refers to perinatal diseases, they indicate high mortalities in newborns and children which isn't reflected in the US data.

Tuberculosis, a treatable old chronic infectious disease still comes as #6 in the Philippines while in USA, Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative illness of aging ranks high as the 7th leading cause of death.

The disparity of these data serves as a guide on the current healthcare planning and services respective countries must offer. Most of these top killers are preventable in which educational campaigns and proper medical care have significant roles. (Photo Credits: SterlingArtz; Poodle boi)=0=

RELATED BLOG: "The Death Clock and the Dangers of Smoking" Posted by mesiamd at 10/22/2008' "Cancer races as the #1 disease killer in 2010" Posted by mesiamd at 12/11/2008
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