Does the Quality of Reported Age Change by Cause of Death?

João Victor Antunes Lopes, UNICAMP
Marília Nepomuceno, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR)
Luciana Correia Alves, University of Campinas

Background: The quality of mortality data is an essential prerequisite for ensuring the reliability of all estimates produced from these records. Objective: To investigate the quality of the reported age in death records by causes of death between 2020 and 2022. Data: Mortality data is from the Brazilian civil registration and vital statistical system. We categorize deaths by year, place of residence, sex, and cause of death. Methods: The Modified Whipple’s Index by Noumbissi (1992) and Coale and Li (1991) Index were used to assess age reporting quality. Preliminary findings: The preferred or avoided digit varies according to the cause of death chapter. Among the elderly, there is a preference for smaller digits and avoidance of larger ones. Notable fluctuations were observed in Diseases of the Respiratory System and External Causes of death. Contribution: Our findings suggest that age data adjustments in death counts, such as smoothing, should account for variations by cause of death. The mechanisms behind variations in age misreporting by cause of death may be due to socioeconomic status and the demand and availability of doctors responsible for completing the death certificate. Moreover, our study highlights the need for further research in this direction.

Keywords: Data and Methods, Mortality and Longevity

See extended abstract.