Population characteristics and environmental factors that influence level and cause of mortality. A review.

Responsible evaluation of energy production effects on human health requires prior accounting for the socioeconomic, cultural, and climatic characteristics known to influence mortality rate and cause. Fifteen population characteristics and environmental variables (education, income, occupation, industrial mix, socioeconomic status, housing quality, climate, urban residence, geographic residence, internal migration, cigarette consumption, alcohol consumption, marital status, foreign birth or stock, and religious affiliation) and three age subgroups are discussed. An initial set of eight variables is indicated for mortality rate standardization, based on the reliability of their relationships with mortality. These eight variables are: education, occupation, industrial mix, urban residence, marital status, ethnic mix, and cigarette and alcohol consumption. Education and occupation are negatively related to mortality. Occupational exposure to toxicants (indicated by industrial mix), cigarette consumption, and alcohol consumption have positive linear relationships with various specific causes of mortality. Urban residence, marital status, and ethnicity have non-linear relationships with mortality and show consistent patterns for certain causes of death. In addition to these characteristics three age subgroups ( less than 1 year, 1-14 years, greater than or equal to 65 years) are discussed because of their relatively high or low rates compared to the rest of the population. A brief review of water and air pollution effects on mortality is included for completeness. Unique to this review is the quantitative summary (presented as an appendix) of the variables influencing adult mortality. It is a compilation of numerical relationships, derived either directly or indirectly from the published data, that support the choice of influencing variables.