Sociodemographic differentials in mortality during the 1974-75 famine in a rural area of Bangladesh

Abstract

This study investigates the socio-demographic differentials in mortality during the 1974-75 famine in a rural area of Bangladesh. It is based on household socioeconomic information collected in the 1974 census and registration data on births, deaths and migrations for the period 1974-79 from the Demographic Surveillance System of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. Ownership of selected household items was considered in the analysis as an indicator of household socioeconomic status. Mortality was 62% higher during the famine period and 31% higher during the post-famine period compared to the non-famine period. The mortality of both the poor and the rich increased during the famine period, by 117% and 28% respectively compared to the non-famine period. The poor suffered significantly in all age groups except 5-14 years, while the rich suffered only for ages 65 and over. Poor males suffered more than poor females except for ages 65 and over, while rich females suffered more than rich males except for ages under 1 year