Study of the Role of Youth Mortality in Life Expectancy Differences in Provinces of Iran, 2016

Considering the significant impact of youth deaths on life expectancy at birth and also the significant differences in such deaths at the provincial level, in this study, after estimating life expectancy at the national and provincial levels, the impact of youth mortality on life expectancy differences in Iran provinces was studied in 2016.

Mortality data at the national and provincial levels by age and sex were obtained from the Civil Registration Organization. After correcting the under-registration data, using standard life table technique, life expectancy at birth was estimated in national and provincial levels in 2016 by MortPak software. Then, the role of deaths between the ages of 15-34 years in life expectancy differences of the provinces of the country was calculated using the Arriaga decomposition method in Excel software.

Sistan and Baluchestan Province had the lowest level of life expectancy at birth for both men and women and Alborz and Isfahan provinces had the highest level of life expectancy in the country. Death at young age had the greatest impact on low life expectancy of men and women in Sistan and Baluchestan Province and has caused 2 and 2.5 years of difference in men and women life expectancy in this province compared to the country. On the other hand, youth mortality had the most positive impact on the life expectancy of men in Ardabil and Semnan provinces and women in Semnan and Qom provinces.

Planning to reduce youth mortality in less developed provinces with lower life expectancy through more equitable distribution of health and welfare facilities, in addition to reducing provincial differences in life expectancy, helps to improve life expectancy at national level.