A mortality model based on a mixture distribution function. (4th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mazzuco, Stefano; Scarpa, Bruno; Zanotto, Lucia
• Is Part Of: Population studies. Volume 72:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 191
• Page End: 200
• Publication Date: 2018-05-04
• Subjects: mortality model -- mixture distribution -- skew-bimodal-normal distribution -- accident hump -- half-normal distribution; Demography -- Periodicals; Population -- Periodicals; 304.605
• DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2018.1439519
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-4728

Abstract

Abstract : A new mortality model based on a mixture distribution function is proposed. We mix a half-normal distribution with a generalization of the skew-normal distribution. As a result, we get a six-parameter distribution function that has a good fit with a wide variety of mortality patterns. This mixture model is fitted to several mortality data schedules and compared with the Siler (five-parameter) and Heligman–Pollard (eight-parameter) models. Our proposal serves as a convenient compromise between the Heligman–Pollard model (which ensures a good fit with data but is often overparameterized) and the Siler model (which is more compact but fails to capture 'accident humps').