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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Carol Brayne, Professor Fiona MatthewsORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Background Death certification data are routinely collected in most developed countries. Coded causes of death are a readily accessible source and have the potential advantage of providing complete follow-up, but with limitations. Objective To investigate the reliability of using death certificates for surveillance of dementia, the time trend of recording dementia on death certificates, and predictive factors of recording of dementia. Subjects Individuals aged 65 and over in six areas cross England and Wales were random selected for the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS) and CFAS II with mortality follow-up. Methods Prevalence of dementia recorded on death certificates were calculated by year. Reporting of dementia on death certificates compared with the study diagnosis of dementia, with sensitivity, specificity and Cohen’s κ estimated. Multivariable logistic regression models explored the impact of potential factors on the reporting of dementia on the death certificate. Results: The overall unadjusted prevalence of dementia on death certificates rose from 5.3% to 25.9% over the last 26 years. Dementia reported on death certificates was poor with sensitivity 21.0% in earlier cohort CFAS, but it had increased to 45.2% in CFAS II. Dementia was more likely to be recorded on death certificates in individuals with severe dementia, or those living in an institution, yet less likely reported if individuals died in hospital. Conclusion: Recording dementia on death certificate has improved significantly in England and Wales. However, such information is still an underestimate and should be used alongside epidemiological estimations.
Author(s): Gao L, Calloway R, Zhao E, Brayne C, Matthews FE, CFAS
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Age and Ageing
Year: 2018
Volume: 47
Issue: 4
Pages: 589–594
Print publication date: 01/07/2018
Online publication date: 28/04/2018
Acceptance date: 10/04/2018
Date deposited: 17/03/2018
ISSN (print): 0002-0729
ISSN (electronic): 1468-2834
Publisher: Oxford University Press
URL: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/47/4/589/4989905
DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afy068
Notes: DOI correct but not activated by OUP.
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