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Bringing cause-of-death analysis into demography: An interview with France Meslé
AI summaryThis piece presents an interview with France Meslé, a pioneer in cause-of-death analysis, tracing how this approach was introduced into demography in the 1980s and led to the development of the health transition framework. The interview covers methodological challenges such as multiple causes of death, data quality at very old ages, and the potential role of AI in mortality research, while also documenting the history of demographic theory. It aims to contribute insights relevant not only to demography but also to epidemiology and public health.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDCause-of-death analysis is an important part of demographic research nowadays, but this has not always been the case.These analyses were introduced to the discipline in the 1980s, which eventually led to the development of the health transition framework.One of the pioneers of this work was France Mesl. OBJECTIVEWe interviewed France Mesl to better understand the history of cause-of-death analysis and how the health transition framework was developed, what methodological challenges there are, and where the field is going next. CONTRIBUTIONWe contribute to the documentation of the history of demographic theories, the analyses of cause-specific mortality trends, and the methodological rigor required for comparative studies.The interview addresses current challenges, such as multiple causes of death, data quality for very old ages, and the integration of AI in mortality research.By highlighting key methodological and theoretical insights that go beyond demography, the interview contributes to other disciplines, such as epidemiology and public health.