High Proportion of Nervous System Disease among Major Cause of Under-Five Death in Korea; Compared with OECD 14 Nations (2005-2010)

Article information

Kosin Med J. 2014;29(1):37-45
Publication date (electronic) : 2014 December 17
doi : https://doi.org/10.7180/kmj.2014.29.1.37
1Department of Pediatrics, Dae-Dong Hospital, Busan, Korea
2Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Kosin University, Busan, Korea
Corresponding Author: Kwang Wook Koh, Department of Preventive Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 34 Amnam-dong, Seo-gu, Busan, 602-702, Republic of Korea TEL: +82-51-990-6426 FAX: +82-51-990-3036 E-mail: kwkoh@kosin.ac.kr
Received 2013 January 31; Revised 2013 June 23; Accepted 2013 July 23.

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives

To compare the mortality rate of children under ages five from different countries by their causes and to explore the cause of death that is relatively higher in South Korea and came up with measures for resolution.

Methods

The statistics were based from section ICD(International Classification of Diseases)-10 of WHO(World Health Organization) Mortality Database. Among the OECD(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, 15 countries with higher GDP(Gross Domestic Product) than South Korea were studied by the mortality rate from 2005 to 2010 sorted into two groups: 0 year group and 1-4 years group. Then the cause of death investigated in detail.

Results

Among the 15 countries, average mortality of 0 year group in Korea ranked 8th and the average mortality of 1-4 years group ranked 4th out of 15. There were no significance in the mortality of 0 year group caused by any specific disease, but unnatural death was ranked 2nd after the United States. The natural death of 1-4 years group was ranked 6th, and the unnatural death was ranked 2nd after the Unites States. Among the natural deaths of 1-4 years group, the cause of death significantly higher was found to be disease G(nervous system disease). Among the subgroups of disease G, the orders went epilepsy, cerebral palsy, paralysis, and inflammatory disease.

Conclusions

We have identified major causes of death of children under age 5. The highest proportion of cause of death in 1-4 years group was nervous system disease and we have proposed resolution. Henceforth, this data will be used as a foundational data for formulating policies relation to the Mother-Child Health.

Fig. 1.

Cause of death at age 0 consists mostly of natural death. In mortality rate of age 0, South Korea is ranked 8th out of 15 countries.

Fig. 2.

The proportions of unnatural death among cause of death from age 0 to age 4 is higher than at age 0. In mortality rate from age 1 to age 4, South Korea ranked 4th out of 15 countries.

Fig. 3.

In the proportion of unnatural death among cause of death from age 1 to age 4, South Korea is ranked 2th out of 15 countries.

Mortality rate from one to four age by major nine codes (2005-2010)

Mortality rate from age 0 to age 4 by subgroups of G code (2005-2010)

References

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Article information Continued

Fig. 1.

Cause of death at age 0 consists mostly of natural death. In mortality rate of age 0, South Korea is ranked 8th out of 15 countries.

Fig. 2.

The proportions of unnatural death among cause of death from age 0 to age 4 is higher than at age 0. In mortality rate from age 1 to age 4, South Korea ranked 4th out of 15 countries.

Fig. 3.

In the proportion of unnatural death among cause of death from age 1 to age 4, South Korea is ranked 2th out of 15 countries.

Table 1.

Mortality rate from one to four age by major nine codes (2005-2010)

  G00-G09 G10-G14 G40-G41 G70-G73 G80-G83 G90-G99
South Korea 0.57 0.19 0.88 0.38 0.89 0.49
Japan 0.37 0.24 0.52 0.46 0.00 0.24
Germany 0.14 0.00 0.49 0.28 0.49 0.41
USA 0.19 0.19 0.38 0.38 0.38 0.00
France 0.21 0.28 0.51 0.32 0.21 0.41
United Kingdom 0.26 0.19 0.21 0.18 0.44 0.68
Italy 0.48 0.16 0.08 0.12 0.40 0.16
Austria 0.44 0.20 0.41 0.21 0.39 0.62
Finland 0.42 0.27 0.51 0.25 0.92 0.29
Spain 0.47 0.47 0.68 0.42 0.05 0.05
Sweden 0.28 0.41 0.41 0.10 0.41 0.76
Israel 0.19 0.23 0.38 0.23 0.09 0.40
Denmark 0.26 0.04 0.12 0.12 0.26 0.99
Norway 0.31 0.24 0.42 0.19 0.09 0.65
Netherlands 0.07 0.29 0.14 0.22 0.36 0.14
Average 0.31 0.23 0.41 0.26 0.36 0.42
South Korea - Average 0.26 -0.04 0.47 0.12 0.53 0.07

Mortality rate: number of death per 100,000 people.

A-B: Certain infectious and parasitic diseases, C: Neoplasms, D: Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism, E: Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, G: Diseases of the nervous system, I: Diseases of the circulatory system, J: Diseases of the respiratory system, Q: Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities, R: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified.

Table 2.

Mortality rate from age 0 to age 4 by subgroups of G code (2005-2010)

  G00-G09 G10-G14 G40-G41 G70-G73 G80-G83 G90-G99
South Korea 0.57 0.19 0.88 0.38 0.89 0.49
Japan 0.37 0.24 0.52 0.46 0.00 0.24
Germany 0.14 0.00 0.49 0.28 0.49 0.41
USA 0.19 0.19 0.38 0.38 0.38 0.00
France 0.21 0.28 0.51 0.32 0.21 0.41
United Kingdom 0.26 0.19 0.21 0.18 0.44 0.68
Italy 0.48 0.16 0.08 0.12 0.40 0.16
Austria 0.44 0.20 0.41 0.21 0.39 0.62
Finland 0.42 0.27 0.51 0.25 0.92 0.29
Spain 0.47 0.47 0.68 0.42 0.05 0.05
Sweden 0.28 0.41 0.41 0.10 0.41 0.76
Israel 0.19 0.23 0.38 0.23 0.09 0.40
Denmark 0.26 0.04 0.12 0.12 0.26 0.99
Norway 0.31 0.24 0.42 0.19 0.09 0.65
Netherlands 0.07 0.29 0.14 0.22 0.36 0.14
Average 0.31 0.23 0.41 0.26 0.36 0.42
South Korea - Average 0.26 -0.04 0.47 0.12 0.53 0.07

Mortality rate: number of death per 100,000 people G00-G09: Inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, G10-G14: Systemic atrophies primarily affecting the central nervous system, G40-G41: Epilepsy and status epilepticus, G70-G73: Diseases of myoneural junction and muscle, G80-G83: Cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes, G90-G99: Other disorders of the nervous system