Generating age-specific mortality statistics from incomplete death registration data: two applications of the empirical completeness method

• Main Authors: Tim Adair, Alan D Lopez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021-06-01
• Series: Population Health Metrics
• Subjects: Mortality; Vital statistics; Civil registration; Data quality; Completeness; Capture-recapture
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12963-021-00262-3

Abstract Background The study aims to assess two approaches that apply the empirical completeness method to generate age-specific mortality statistics from incomplete death registration systems. Methods We use the empirical completeness method to calculate all-age death registration completeness, which is used with a model life table to generate mortality statistics and age-specific completeness using (1) the conventional method and (2) the equivalent deaths method. The results are compared with a capture-recapture (C-RC) study and three alternative mortality estimates for Brazilian states, and C-RC studies in Thailand, Oman and Vietnam, which independently estimate the level and age pattern of mortality or completeness. Results The empirical completeness method produces similar estimates of all-age completeness of registration to the C-RC studies. Compared with C-RC studies, at 15-59 years, the conventional method’s estimates of mortality and completeness are more concordant, while at 60-84 years the equivalent death method’s estimates are closer. Estimates of life expectancy from the two approaches each have similar concordance with the C-RC studies. For male adult mortality in Brazilian states, there is relatively strong average correlation of this study's estimates with three alternative estimates. Conclusions The two approaches produce mortality statistics from incomplete data that are mostly concordant with C-RC studies, and can be most usefully applied to subnational populations.