Trends in stomach cancer mortality in relation to living conditions in childhood. A study among cohorts born between 1860 and 1939 in seven European countries.

AIM To assess whether secular trends in stomach cancer mortality were correlated with trends in infant mortality rate (IMR) or gross domestic product (GDP). METHODS Data from seven European countries were analyzed. We used Poisson regression to describe mortality trends among birth cohorts of 1865-1939 and correlation coefficients to determine associations with IMR/GDP. RESULTS Large differences were observed between birth cohorts in mortality from stomach cancer. In each country, these cohort differences were closely related to IMR/GDP levels at birth time. However, stronger associations were observed with measures of living conditions during later life. In comparisons between countries, stomach cancer mortality rates were not consistently related to national levels of IMR/GDP. CONCLUSION General living conditions in childhood do not seem to have had a predominant effect on secular trends in stomach cancer mortality. The mortality decline is likely to be related to more 1specific factors, such as declining Helicobacter pylori prevalence.