Characteristics analysis on death among elderly people aged 60 years and above in Shanghai in 2014

Objective To discuss the characteristics of death among elderly people aged 60 years and above in Shanghai, who were classified into different age groups, and to provide a basis for making public health policy. Methods On the basis of the data covering whole population death registry system in Shanghai, data on the elders aged 60-plus was collected and classified into 3 age groups according to WHO standards for descriptive analysis. Results The crude death rate among the elders aged 60-plus in shanghai in 2014 was 3 001.76/10⁵,accounting for 88.37% of the total mortality. The crude death rate of male was higher than that of female in each age group. The main causes of death in 60-74 age-group were cancer and coronary heart disease (CHD) which had shorter course of disease with worse prognosis. The main causes of death in 75-89 age-group were cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which had longer course. The main causes of death in 90-pluse group included functional degradation and accidental fall, apart from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and COPD.And 54.35% of the elders aged 60-plus died in hospital, while 34.12% at home,and 6.63% at nursing home. The proportion of death at home was higher in non-central urban area than in central urban area. And the proportion of death in hospital decreased with increasing age. Conclusion The proportion of the elderly death was large in total mortality. As the characteristics of death varied in different age groups, government should adopt different prevention and control measures. Rational allocation of medical and rehabilitation resources, as well as terminal care, need more attention and exploration by all institutions concerned.