Health inequalities in Seville, Spain: use of indicators of social deprivation and mortality in small areas

Abstract

Objectives. To analyse the spatial distribution of social structure and mortality in Seville, and to examine the association between various social indicators and mortality. Methods. Small areas of the city were typified on the basis of four social indicators, which were used to derive a social index. Overall mortality and cause of death were studied in two age groups (1+years and 1–64 years). Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between the social indicators and mortality. Results. Significant social and mortality differences, particularly in premature mortality of males, were found between the areas studied. However, when the basic health zones are grouped together by social level, these differences in mortality are not so clear. The social indicators that correlate most closely with mortality are unemployment and illiteracy. When the social index is used, the correlations are weaker. Premature death from trauma in males presents the highest coefficient of correlation with unemployment and illiteracy. Conclusions. The social index used in the present study places less emphasis on material differences than those used by Townsend et al. and Carstairs and Morris. Also, it was not possible to study mortality by individual neighbourhoods in this study. Both factors could have influenced the finding that the correlations between both types of indicator are weaker with the social index than with unemployment and illiteracy.