Abstract
Background: This study investigated trends in cancer-related avoidable (preventable and treatable) mortality and its association with area deprivation in Korea. Methods: Cancer-related avoidable mortality rates per 100,000 population between 2015 and 2019 were measured using the Causes of Death Statistics. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was measured from the Population and Housing Census and information on other independent variables from the Korea Community Health Survey. The gap in avoidable mortality between the more and less deprived groups was expressed as rate ratios (RR) and absolute differences (ADs) with a 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI). The association between avoidable mortality and ADI was investigated through Poisson regression modelling. Results: The more deprived areas had higher avoidable (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.13–1.17; AD 6.58, 95% CI 5.59–7.57) and preventable (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.17–1.21; AD 6.22, 95% CI 5.38–7.06) mortality. The overall cancer-related avoidable mortality decreased but the gap between the more and less deprived groups did not decline significantly during the study period. The association between avoidable and preventable mortality and area deprivation remained significant after adjusting for variables, including area levels of smokers and alcohol drinkers. Conclusions: The gap in avoidable mortality signifies the importance of addressing related disparities in cancer.
Highlights
Avoidable mortality is defined as deaths that are considered preventable or treatable, based on the availability of current public health and medical interventions [1]
Quite predictably, avoidable mortality can be utilized as a public health indicator to assess the performance of a healthcare system or policy, in addition to the identification of areas that require targeted healthcare interventions [3]
In view of the fact that avoidable mortality rates constitute an important component of various health indicators, including life expectancy, the consensus is that effective healthcare systems should focus on minimizing or delaying avoidable mortality [4,5]
Summary
Avoidable mortality is defined as deaths that are considered preventable or treatable, based on the availability of current public health and medical interventions [1]. Preventable deaths can be avoided before disease onset through the effective implementation of public health and primary prevention interventions [2]. Treatable mortality refers to deaths that can be prevented or delayed after disease onset through well-timed and effective medical interventions [2]. In view of the fact that avoidable mortality rates constitute an important component of various health indicators, including life expectancy, the consensus is that effective healthcare systems should focus on minimizing or delaying avoidable mortality [4,5]
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