Factors Associated with Death among Elderly People in Matlab, Bangladesh

Golam Mostafa, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research
Abdur Razzaque, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research

The study examined the differentials of socioeconomic variables and causes of death of the elderly (60+) people, utilizing the data available from the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Bangladesh from 1993 to 1998. Result shows that risk of dying is much lower among married elderly than the widows/ widowers. Elderly who were not staying with children experienced a significantly higher risk of dying, than staying with children. Survival is higher among elderly who are literate, having land and living in households with drinking water facility, than illiterate, no land, and staying in household with no drinking water facility. Sex differentials in cause-specific mortality rate are not much. Death due to most causes decreased with an increase of educational level except cardio-vascular/ malignant disease. Whereas mortality in all the cause categories were higher among the married than the widowed except senility and diarrhoeal disease and among Hindus than the Muslims.