TRENDS IN DIAGNOSIS-SPECIFIC MORTALITY FOR THE AGING POPULATION IN NORWAY, 1966-1986

For the older segment of the Norwegian population, sex, age at time of death, and time-period of death are important factors to consider whe n describing cause-specific mortality trends. Correspondence analysis was applied to mortality and provided plots which in a conceptually si mple way demonstrated the complex relations between sex, age, time-per iods and causes of death. Log-linear modelling was used to confirm the findings of the correspondence analyses. During the period of observa tion, the elderly, regardless of sex, have experienced greater changes in the most important causes of death, than the younger segments of t he population. The main intention of this article is to improve the co nceptual understanding of how important parameters are associated with trends in mortality rates for the major causes of death in Norway.