Bringing cause-of-death analysis into demography: An interview with France Meslé

Background: Cause-of-death analysis is an important part of demographic research nowadays, but this has not always been the case. These analyses were introduced to the discipline in the 1980s, which eventually led to the development of the health transition framework. One of the pioneers of this work was France Meslé. Objective: We interviewed France Meslé to better understand the history of cause-of-death analysis and how the health transition framework was developed, what methodological challenges there are, and where the field is going next. Contribution: We contribute to the documentation of the history of demographic theories, the analyses of cause-specific mortality trends, and the methodological rigor required for comparative studies. The interview addresses current challenges, such as multiple causes of death, data quality for very old ages, and the integration of AI in mortality research. By highlighting key methodological and theoretical insights that go beyond demography, the interview contributes to other disciplines, such as epidemiology and public health.