Is there a north–south mortality divide in England or is London the outlier?

Jonathan William Minton,Gerry Mccartney

doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(18)30188-9

Abstract

Is there a north–south mortality divide in England or is London the outlier?

Highlights

In The Lancet Public Health, Evangelos Kontopantelis and colleagues[1] present their findings from a populationbased study of mortality in people aged 25–44 years in the north versus the south of England, and in London versus other regions
It is paradoxical that London, the largest urban area, has the lowest mortality of all the populations compared, when in general urban areas in the UK have substantially higher mortality than rural areas
On a shaded map this represents an archipelago of urban islands of high mortality surrounded by rural areas of lower mortality

Summary

Introduction

In The Lancet Public Health, Evangelos Kontopantelis and colleagues[1] present their findings from a populationbased study of mortality in people aged 25–44 years in the north versus the south of England, and in London versus other regions. It is paradoxical that London, the largest urban area, has the lowest mortality of all the populations compared, when in general urban areas in the UK have substantially higher mortality than rural areas.

Results

Conclusion