LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Young men worldwide have higher death rates than women but the causes vary according to their age and where they live, researchers said Tuesday.
Accidents and suicide are the leading killers in men aged 15 to 34, and deaths from illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and chronic liver disease rise sharply in 35-44-year-olds.
"In every country there is an excess of male deaths due to potentially avoidable reasons. The main causes of death are those that are more or less directly attributable to lifestyle and risk taking," said Alan White of Leeds Metropolitan University in England.
In a study published in the journal Men's Health and Gender, White and his colleague Mike Holmes analysed the causes of death in men and women aged 15 to 44 in 44 countries, excluding nations from sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian sub-continent because of lack of data.
In each country the researchers found an excess of male deaths. It ranged from a high in Thailand of 35 percent of males deaths within that age range to a low in Sweden of 3.5 percent.
Along with Thailand, Brazil, Kazakhstan and the Philippines had the highest male death rates among 15 to 44-year-olds; Japan, the Netherlands and Italy ranked among the lowest.
In Brazil, homicide was the principal cause of death among young men; in Japan it was suicide. Suicide rates were higher among men in the richer northern European countries than in nations further south.
Eastern European countries, particularly the ex-Soviet countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia had high male death rates in all categories, according to the researchers.
"Throughout the world the developing countries or those in transition have the highest rates of death among the age group 15 to 44 years," White said in the study.
"This study has highlighted the importance of recognizing the extent of loss of life in young men."
The scientists said deaths due to cancer, heart disease and chronic liver disease showed the importance of lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption which are known to raise the risk of developing the disorders.