Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Population Health Metrics
Published in: Population Health Metrics 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research

Verifying causes of death in Thailand: rationale and methods for empirical investigation

Authors: Chalapati Rao, Yawarat Porapakkham, Junya Pattaraarchachai, Warangkana Polprasert, Narumol Swampunyalert, Alan D Lopez

Published in: Population Health Metrics | Issue 1/2010

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Cause-specific mortality statistics by age and sex are primary evidence for epidemiological research and health policy. Annual mortality statistics from vital registration systems in Thailand are of limited utility because about 40% of deaths are registered with unknown or nonspecific causes. This paper reports the rationale, methods, and broad results from a comprehensive study to verify registered causes in Thailand.

Methods

A nationally representative sample of 11,984 deaths was selected using a multistage stratified cluster sampling approach, distributed across 28 districts located in nine provinces of Thailand. Registered causes were verified through medical record review for deaths in hospitals and standard verbal autopsy procedures for deaths outside hospitals, the results of which were used to measure validity and reliability of registration data. Study findings were used to develop descriptive estimates of cause-specific mortality by age and sex in Thailand.

Results

Causes of death were verified for a total of 9,644 deaths in the study sample, comprised of 3,316 deaths in hospitals and 6,328 deaths outside hospitals. Field studies yielded specific diagnoses in almost all deaths in the sample originally assigned an ill-defined cause of death at registration. Study findings suggest that the leading causes of death in Thailand among males are stroke (9.4%); transport accidents (8.1%); HIV/AIDS (7.9%); ischemic heart diseases (6.4%); and chronic obstructive lung diseases (5.7%). Among females, the leading causes are stroke (11.3%); diabetes (8%); ischemic heart disease (7.5%); HIV/AIDS (5.7%); and renal diseases (4%).

Conclusions

Empirical investigation of registered causes of death in the study sample yielded adequate information to enable estimation of cause-specific mortality patterns in Thailand. These findings will inform burden of disease estimation and economic evaluation of health policy choices in the country. The development and implementation of research methods in this study will contribute to improvements in the quality of annual mortality statistics in Thailand. Similar research is recommended for other countries where the quality of mortality statistics is poor.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
World Bank: World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health. New York: Oxford University Press; 1993.
2.
Mathers CD, Ma Fat D, Inoue M, Rao C, Lopez AD: Counting the dead and what they died of: an assessment of the global status of cause of death data. Bull World Health Organ 2005, 83: 171-77.PubMedPubMedCentral
3.
AbouZahr C, Cleland J, Coullare F, Macfarlane SB, Notzon FC, Setel P, Szreter S, Monitoring of Vital Events (MoVE) writing group, Anderson RN, Bawah AA, Betrán AP, Binka F, Bundhamcharoen K, Castro R, Evans T, Figueroa XC, George CK, Gollogly L, Gonzalez R, Grzebien DR, Hill K, Huang Z, Hull TH, Inoue M, Jakob R, Jha P, Jiang Y, Laurenti R, Li X, Lievesley D, Lopez AD: The way forward. Lancet 2007, 370: 1791-9. 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61310-5CrossRefPubMed
4.
Mahapatra P, Shibuya K, Lopez AD, Coullare F, Notzon FC, Rao C, Szreter S, Monitoring Vital Events (MoVE) writing group: Civil registration systems and vital statistics: successes and missed opportunities. Lancet 2007, in press.
5.
Tangcharoensathien V, Faramnuayphol P, Teokul W, Bundhamcharoen K, Wibulpholprasert S: A critical assessment of mortality statistics in Thailand: potential for improvements. Bull World Health Organ 2006, 84: 233-8. 10.2471/BLT.05.026310CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Pattaraachachai J, Rao C, Polprasert W, Porapakkham Y, Poa-in W, Singwerathum N, Lopez AD: Cause-specific mortality patterns among hospital deaths in Thailand: validating routine death certification. Popul Health Metr 2010, 8: 12. 10.1186/1478-7954-8-12CrossRef
7.
Polprasert W, Rao C, Adair T, Pattaraachachai J, Porapakkham Y, Lopez AD: Cause-of-death ascertainment for deaths that occur outside hospitals in Thailand: application of verbal autopsy methods. Popul Health Metr 2010, 8: 13. 10.1186/1478-7954-8-13CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Porapakkham Y, Rao C, Pattaraachachai J, Polprasert W, Vos T, Adair T, Lopez AD: Estimated causes of death in Thailand, 2005: implications for health policy. Popul Health Metr 2010, 8: 14. 10.1186/1478-7954-8-14CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Sripanaratanakul P: Vital Registration System in Thailand. Bureau of Registration Administration, Ministry of Interior, Thailand; 2003.
10.
Choprapawon C, Porapakkham Y, Sablon O, Panjajaru R, Jhantharatat B: Thailand's national death registration reform: verifying the causes of death between July 1997 and December 1999. Asia Pac J Public Health 2005, 17: 110-6.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Rao C, Lopez AD, Yang GH, Begg S, Ma J: Evaluating national cause of death statistics: Principles and application to the case of China. Bull World Health Organ 2005, 83: 618-25.PubMedPubMedCentral
12.
Bureau of Planning and Strategy: Mortality Database. Bangkok: Ministry of Public Health, Thailand; 2008.
13.
Hill K, Vapattanawong P, Prasartkul P, Porapakkham Y, Lim SS, Lopez AD: Epidemiologic transition interrupted: a reassessment of mortality trends in Thailand, 1980-2000. Int J Epidemiol 2006, 36: 374-84. 10.1093/ije/dyl257CrossRefPubMed
14.
National Statistics Office: Report on the 2005-2006 National Survey of Population Change. Bangkok: Royal Government of Thailand; 2006.
15.
Prasartkul P, Vapattanawong P: The completeness of death registration in Thailand: evidence from the demographic surveillance system of the Kanchanaburi project. World Health & Population 2006, 8: 43-51.CrossRef
16.
Lumbiganon P, Panamonta M, Laopaiboon M, Pothinam S, Patithat N: Thai official perinatal and infant mortality rates so low? Int J Epidemiol 1990, 19: 997-1000. 10.1093/ije/19.4.997CrossRefPubMed
17.
18.
Boonthai C, Khonsilp R, Thammasaroj P: The study of causes of death of Thai Medical Doctors, 1967-1984. Bangkok: Division of Health Statistics, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health; 1994.
19.
Thai Ministry of Public Health: Plan for improving mortality statistics in Thailand. In Regional Consultation on Mortality Statistics; 2007. New Delhi: WHO SEARO; 2007.
20.
21.
World Health Organization: Special tabulation lists for mortality and morbidity; Mortality tabulation list 1. In International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems - Tenth Revision. Volume 1. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1993:1207-10.
22.
Kirkwood B, Sterne J: Calculation of required sample size. Essential Medical Statistics. Massachusetts: Blackwell Science Ltd; 2003:413-28.
23.
Vittinghoff E, Glidden DV, Shiboksi SC, McCulloch CE: Regression Methods in Biostatistics: Linear, Logistic, Survival, and Repeated Measures Models. Springer: New York; 2005:312.
24.
Rao C, Yang G, Hu J, Ma J, Xia W, Lopez AD: Validation of cause-of-death statistics in urban China. Int J Epidemiol 2007, 36: 642-51. 10.1093/ije/dym003CrossRefPubMed
25.
Wang L, Yang G, Jiemin M, Rao C, Xia W, Dubrovsky G, Lopez AD: Evaluation of the quality of cause of death statistics in rural China using verbal autopsies. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007, 61: 519-526. 10.1136/jech.2005.043927CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
26.
Khosravi A, Rao C, Naghavi M, Taylor R, Jafari N, Lopez AD: Impact of misclassification on measures of cardiovascular disease mortality in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a cross-sectional study. Bull World Health Organ 2008, 86: 688-96. 10.2471/BLT.07.046532CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
Metadata
Title
Verifying causes of death in Thailand: rationale and methods for empirical investigation
Authors
Chalapati Rao
Yawarat Porapakkham
Junya Pattaraarchachai
Warangkana Polprasert
Narumol Swampunyalert
Alan D Lopez
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Population Health Metrics / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1478-7954
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-8-11

Other articles of this Issue 1/2010

Population Health Metrics 1/2010 Go to the issue

Editorial

The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran: the path to preventing traffic injuries?

Research

Projection of the year 2050 burden of diabetes in the US adult population: dynamic modeling of incidence, mortality, and prediabetes prevalence

Research

Comparing population health in the United States and Canada

Research

Verbal autopsy interpretation: a comparative analysis of the InterVA model versus physician review in determining causes of death in the Nairobi DSS

Research

Measuring the health of the Indian elderly: evidence from National Sample Survey data

Research

Deaths of infants subject to forensic autopsy in Estonia from 2001 to 2005: what can we learn from additional information?