How do social-economic differences in residential characteristics affect mortality? A literature review

Abstract

Authors review studies on associations between mortality and geographic distribution of social-economic health determinants published in the last 15 years. Hungarian publications after the 1990ies identified several indicators with effect on mortality related to the place of residence such as size of the settlement, population density, joblessness, average income, education, and racial or ethnic mixture. As a rule, these papers analyzed time and geographically aggregated data with simple descriptive statistical approach. Major international studies, however, aside the area indicators commonly included individual data and applied multilevel statistical analysis. Earlier, the incoherent results of some complex statistical analyses were explained by lack of overall health concept, which could utilize effects both at individual and population levels. The most recent multilevel statistical methodology, using information related to spatial correlation and fitted to health models, can help researchers to better understand the causes and effects of health inequities.