Abridged Life Table (Tabel Kematian Singkat)

An Abridged Life Table is a simplified version of a complete life table that summarizes mortality and survival patterns using grouped age intervals, commonly five-year age groups such as 0, 1–4, 5–9, and so on. Unlike the complete life table, which uses single-year age intervals, the abridged life table is more practical when detailed age-specific mortality data are limited or unavailable. This type of life table is widely used in demography, epidemiology, public health, and population studies because it allows researchers to estimate survival, mortality, and life expectancy efficiently while reducing the complexity of calculations.

The construction of an abridged life table follows principles similar to those of a complete life table. Important components include the probability of dying (nqx), number surviving (lx), number dying (ndx), person-years lived (nLx), total future person-years lived (Tx), and life expectancy (ex). However, the calculations are performed for grouped age intervals rather than exact ages. Typically, the table begins with a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 births and sequentially estimates the number surviving and dying within each age group. The abridged life table is especially useful for national mortality statistics, census analysis, and health program evaluation because it provides sufficiently accurate estimates with fewer data requirements.

For statistics students, understanding the abridged life table is important because it demonstrates the practical application of statistical methods in demographic and health research. Through life table analysis, students learn how mortality indicators are derived and how survival patterns can be interpreted for policy and research purposes. In many developing countries, where complete age-specific mortality data may not always be available, abridged life tables become an essential analytical tool. Therefore, mastering the concepts and calculations of abridged life tables provides a strong foundation for advanced study in biostatistics, survival analysis, epidemiology, and population projection.