Difference in excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic depending on marital status in Japan

Abstract

Differences in excess mortality during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic across marital statuses in Japan were investigated using data from across the country. Mortality data from the Vital Statistics records spanning 2010–2023 were utilized. Age-standardized mortality rates were computed by sex, marital status, year, and cause of death, and expected post-pandemic rates were estimated using pre-pandemic values with a quasi-Poisson regression model. Furthermore, the age-standardized percentage of the excess number of deaths relative to the expected number of deaths (hereafter, P-score) after the pandemic started was calculated by sex, marital status, and cause of death, using the expected and observed number of deaths. A declining trend in all-cause mortality rate was observed across all groups before the pandemic, regardless of sex and marital status, while mortality rates increased across all groups after the pandemic began. The largest decrease in all-cause mortality rate was observed among never-married persons before the pandemic in both men and women, while the smallest increase after the pandemic was observed among married persons. The highest age-standardized P-score for all-cause mortality was observed among never-married men and women, while that for married persons was the lowest among men. For women, the age-standardizedP-scores were closer across groups, with confidence intervals overlapping among marital-status categories. In contrast, there was a significant difference in the age-standardized P-scores between never-married and married persons among women aged <65 years. In conclusion, the percentage of excess all-cause mortality was the highest among never-married persons during the pandemic period in Japan, particularly in men, and it is important to continue to monitor the trend in the future.