A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF TRENDS IN MORTALITY-RATES OF THE AGING POPULATION IN NORWAY, SWEDEN, DENMARK, AND FINLAND, 1966-1986

The populations of Finland and the three Scandinavian countries (Denma rk, Norway and Sweden) have experienced relatively marked differences regarding trends in mortality rates since the Second World War. To ass ess factors that might contribute to these differences, a cohort analy sis was performed based upon vital statistics for the age category 45 years to 89 years, from the four countries, for the period 1966-86. Th e results of log-linear modelling, which included the effects of age, period, and cohort, on mortality rates, revealed differences in the ef fect of age parameters on mortality between Finland and the three Scan dinavian countries. These differences may be related to a genetic comp onent. Differences in patterns of mortality rates over time relating t o period and cohort effects indicate a differential development in lif estyle-related risk factors associated with the major causes of death. Based on differences in goodness-of-fit of the log-linear models, it is suggested that the Finnish population has experienced a more hetero geneous development in mortality over time than has the Scandinavian. This may be related to the greater social inequities that have existed in Finland than in Scandinavia during the decades under study.