MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ülikool

TERVIS JA TÖÖVÕIME HEALTH AND CAPACITY FOR WORK
under observation is the body mass index of men and women, which actually reflects the
outcome of health behaviour.
The last part of the article reviews the impact of health on the capacity for work and the impact of
work on health. A short overview is provided about diseases restricting the capacity for work,
occupational diseases and work-related accidents.
Demographic overview
There are more boys than girls born. The proportion of boys among live births is 51–52%. In
2010 the total of 15,825 children were born, 8,166 of them were boys and 7,659 were girls.
Nevertheless, the proportion of males in total population is only 46%. As of 1 January 2011 the
Estonian population was 1,340,194, including 617,757 males and 722,437 females. Lower
proportion of men in the population is due to higher mortality of men at an early age in
comparison with women. Already during infancy mortality is higher in case of boys than girls. In
2010 the infant mortality rate (number of infant deaths during the first year of life per 1,000 live
births) was 4.2 for boys and 2.5 for girls. The number of men and women evens up in their thirties
and from there on the proportion of men is lower than that of women. The proportion of men
among the population aged 85 and older is only 20%. (Figure 1)
The main causes of infant death include certain conditions originating in the perinatal period and
congenital malformations. In childhood and adolescence the main causes of death include
accidents, injury and poisoning, which tend to affect boys to a greater extent. Accidents are
men’s primary cause of death until the first half of their forties and are replaced by diseases of the
circulatory system starting from the second half of their forties.
Similar to most of the developed countries, the highest burden of disease in Estonia is caused by
diseases of the circulatory system, which are greatly affected by personal health behaviour
(nutrition, alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity). However, in comparison to
Western Europe and the Nordic countries, Estonia stands out with a relatively early age at which
diseases of the circulatory system appear and lead to death (Rahvastiku … 2008). More common
diseases include ischaemic heart diseases and hypertensive diseases. Diseases of the
circulatory system are more common among women. Approximately 60% of women die because
of diseases of the circulatory system (see Figure 2). Diseases of the circulatory system are the
top cause of death for men as well, but less than a half of the men die because of these
diseases. Men die from diseases of the circulatory system at a significantly earlier age than
women.
Malignant neouplasms represent the second leading cause of death. Modern knowledge of the
causes and prevention of malignant neoplasms enables to prevent nearly 40% of new cancer
cases (Rahvastiku … 2008). Neoplasms are considered the cause of death for about a quarter of
men and one fifth of women. The most frequently fatal neoplasms are malignant neoplasm of
larynx, trachea, bronchus and lung and malignant neoplasm of prostate for men, and malignant
neoplasm of breast, malignant neoplasm of stomach and malignant neoplasm of colon for
women. Men’s mortality due to malignant neoplasm of larynx, trachea, bronchus and lung
exceeds that of women by four times.
The third main cause of death includes accidents, injury and poisoning. The number of men who
die because of an accident exceeds the relevant number of women by fourfold. A total of 3% of
women and 12% of men are killed as a result of accidents. (Figure 2)
Age-specific death rate represents the annual number of deaths per 1,000 men or women in the
same age group. According to this indicator, the mortality of men exceeds the mortality of women
in each age group (see Figure 3). This does not mean as if there are fewer deaths among
women. In fact, both in 2009 and in 2010 more women died than men. Age-specific death rate
enables to compare mortality by age groups, as it considers the population number in each age
group. (Figure 3)
MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? MAN’S HOME IS THE WORLD, WOMAN’S WORLD IS HER HOME? 51