The project will use large scale linked data to investigate multiple causes of death and their contribution to population attributable fractions. The multiple cause weighting strategy conceptualizes mortality as being the result of a mixture of disease processes, thus acknowledging that multiple diseases may act together to cause death, rather than relying on one underlying cause of death.

The project will estimate the smoking attributable fractions of death, incorporating multiple causes of death into relative risk estimation. Cause of death will be ascribed using two different methods - the UC only and a multiple cause weighting (WT) strategy, ascribing 50% weight to the UC and apportioning the remaining 50% equally across the contributing causes reported in Part II of the death certificate.
Methods for redistribution of ill-defined and non-specific contributing causes will also be explored.

References:

• Bishop K, Balogun S, Eynstone-Hinkins J, Moran L, Martin M, Banks E, Rao C, Joshy G. Analysis of multiple causes of death: a review of methods and practices. Epidemiology 2023 Jan 31. https://doi.org/10.1097/ede.0000000000001597 Online ahead of print.
• Bishop K, Moreno-Betancur M, Balogun S, Eynstone-Hinkins J, Moran L, Rao C, Banks E, Korda RJ, Gourley M, Joshy G. Quantifying cause-related mortality in Australia incorporating multiple causes: observed patterns, trends, and practical considerations. International J Epidemiology 2022. Aug 19;dyac167. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyac167.