Heath transition in adult and old ages: Italian examples

Lorenzo Del Panta, Università di Bologna
Rosella Rettaroli, Università di Bologna
Alessandra Samoggia, Università di Bologna

The paper presents some preliminary results of a project devoted to the analysis of adult and elderly mortality evolution in a Northern Italian region, Emilia Romagna, during the health transition. We built regional complete period life table for both gender for 13 censuses years (1871-2001). For the first stages of health transition we have compared Emilia Romagna survival evolution with those of other Italian regions: Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily. In the first phase of health transition Emilia Romagna adult and elderly mortality quite differs from those of Italy and other Italian regions. During the second stage of transition the aspects that appear at a regional level are the very rapid reduction of elderly age mortality risks and the great contribution given by women to this reduction. The analysis of mortality by causes that we are carrying on will enable us to better explain the historical paths of the observed evolution.