Assessing premature mortality in Serbia: Insights from the Median Age of Years of Life Lost

Abstract

Premature mortality, defined as death occurring before a predetermined chronological age, is a significant public health challenge in Serbia, compounded by an aging population, high rates of non-communicable diseases, and healthcare system challenges. This study introduces a novel indicator, the Median Age of Years of Life Lost (MeAYPLL), to assess the age distribution of premature mortality in Serbia and selected European Union (EU) countries during the pre-pandemic period (2000-2019). The findings reveal that Serbia is among the European countries with the highest rates of premature mortality, similar to other former socialist countries. However, the age distribution of premature deaths varies considerably across countries, influenced by factors such as the cause of death and population age structure. The results show that Serbia, in the period between 2017 and 2019, lost 539,591.3 years of potential life annually with Serbian MeAYPLL being 57.62 years in this period. The study underscores the importance of considering multiple dimensions of premature mortality, including its intensity, age structure, and geographical variations, for designing effective public health interventions. It also highlights the limitations of the MeAYPLL indicator, recommending its use in conjunction with other measures of premature mortality intensity for a comprehensive assessment.