Trends in Reported Death Rates of the Upper Classes in Japan Found Through Obituary Notices

Abstract

Trends in the death rates of the upper classes in Japan were revealed by the investigation of obituary notice columns in a major national newspaper. The authors analyzed differences among occupations (professers, executive bureaucrats and executive businessmen) and contrasted the upper classes for the general population. Results were as follows : 1) Obituary notices from 1935, 1955 and 1975 indicated a trend of an increasing in the mean age at death. No difference was found among the occupations and from the general public. 2) In 1935, causes of death for upper classes were not significantly different from general population rates. In 1955 and 1975, the upper classes, especially executive businessemen showed a significantly higher death rate from heart diseases, and in 1975, a significantly lower death rate from cerebral stroke, as compared to the general population. 3) Within the upper classes, the ratio of rates of death in hospitals vs. rates of death in private homes showed a change over time. In 1935 and 1955 only 3 out of 10 deaths occured in hospitals whereas in 1975 the ratio was 7 : 3. Compared with the general public, the upper classes showed significantly higher proportion of deaths in hospitals, both in 1955 and 1975. With regard to selected causes of death in hospitals (cancer, heart diseases and cerebral stroke), the leading cause of death in both 1955 and 1975 was cancer. In 1955 the rate of deaths due to heart diseases was higher than that due to cerebral stroke, but this was reversed in 1975. In these rates there were no significant differences between the upper classes and the general public.