Is Length of Life Predictable?

Document Type

Article

Authors

G.M. Tallis, University of Adelaide
P. Leppard, University of Adelaide

Abstract

A random sample of death records of adult males from the period 1967 to 1970 was chosen from the South Australian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. The natural parents of these individuals were identified by cross-referencing to birth certificates, and an extensive search was made of the death records for these parents. In this manner random families were selected for which, where possible, the cause of death and length of life of each family member were determined. Here, we analyze the association between sons and their parents in length of life and report the statistically useful correlations that were found. These correlations enable the calculation of a life table for a male conditional on his current age and the lifetimes of his parents. Comparisons are made with the uninformed population life table based solely on sex and year of birth.

Recommended Citation

Tallis, G.M. and Leppard, P. (1997) "Is Length of Life Predictable?," Human Biology: Vol. 69: Iss. 6, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol69/iss6/9