Nosological and Age and Gender Profile of the Vologda Oblast Population Mortality and the Associated Demographic Losses
Authors: Korolenko A. V. 
Published: July 2021

The continuation and deepening of regional studies of the nosological and age and gender structure of mortality and its temporal dynamics is due both to the need for scientific monitoring of the implementation of regional programs and projects of the Vologda Oblast dedicated to the protection and promotion of public health, and the need to update the trends in mortality of the region residents in the context of modern socio-demographic challenges (population aging, depopulation, a complex epidemiological situation against the background of the spread of coronavirus infection).

The purpose of the study was the analysis of the nosological and age and gender profile of mortality in the Vologda Oblast and the resulting demographic losses, including their transformation over the period from 2015 to 2019. The choice of the analyzed period is not accidental: if in 2015 the region was characterized by the most positive indicators of natural population movement (the total coefficient of natural loss since the beginning of the 2000s reached a minimum of -1.1 per mille), then by 2019 the situation changed dramatically — the indicator of natural loss increased and amounted to - 4.5 per mille.

Materials and methods. The study was based on both general scientific and special statistical and demographic methods of research — structural and dynamic analysis of mortality indicators of the Vologda oblast population; assessment of demographic losses due to premature mortality by calculating lost years of potential life; calculation of mortality rates. The information base was the data of the territorial body of the Federal state statistics service for the Vologda Oblast, in particular, the annual data on the distribution of the deceased by sex, age groups and causes of death for 2015-2019.

Results. The conducted study allowed us to establish that, in general, the structure of mortality in the region shows signs of its gradual modernization: the level of mortality from diseases of the circulatory system, external causes of death and their share in the total number of deaths are reduced, while increasing the proportion of neoplasms, symptoms, signs, deviations from the norm detected in clinical and laboratory tests, which is quite natural due to the shift in mortality to older age groups. At the same time, its features “slow down” the evolution of the mortality structure, such as a high proportion of young age groups (under 45 years old), especially categories 30-44 years old, in mortality from external causes, infectious and parasitic diseases, endocrine diseases, nutritional disorders, metabolic disorders and, as a result, the large scale of premature mortality of the region's population; male premature super-mortality, as well as the high contribution of the child population (0-14 years old) to premature mortality from diseases of the nervous system and sensory organs.

Conclusion. Against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, the fact of a high contribution of young age groups (up to 45 years) to mortality from infectious and parasitic diseases is of great concern due to the likelihood of a sharp increase in the scale of human losses as a result of the layering of new premature deaths due to the consequences of COVID-19. It is considered necessary to include additional indicators of mortality reflecting its gender, age and nosological profile in the regional comprehensive program “Public health — in the center of attention”.