Abstract
Background Little information is available on temporal trends in socioeconomic inequalities in mortality by cause of death in France. The aim of this paper was to study educational differences in mortality in France by cause of death and their temporal trend. Methods We used a representative sample of 1% of the French population and compared four periods (1968–1974, 1975–1981, 1982–1988, 1990–1996). Causes of death were obtained from the French national death registry. Education was measured at the beginning of each period, and educational disparities in mortality were studied among men and women aged 30–64 at the beginning of each period. Analyses were conducted for all deaths and for the following causes of death: all cancers, lung cancer (in men), head and neck cancers (in men), breast cancer (in women), colorectal cancer, other cancers, cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, other cardiovascular diseases, external causes, and other causes of death. Socioeconomic inequalities were quantified with relative risk and relative index of inequality (RII). The RII measures socioeconomic inequalities across the population and can be interpreted as the ratio of mortality rates of those with the lowest to those with the highest socioeconomic status. Results Analyses showed an increase in educational differences in all-cause mortality among men (the RII increased from 1.96 to 2.77 from the first to the last period) and among women (the RII increased from 1.87 to 2.53). Socioeconomic inequalities increased for all causes of death studied among women, and for cancer and cardiovascular diseases among men. The contribution of cancer mortality to the difference in overall mortality between the lowest and the highest levels of education sharply increased over the entire study period, especially for women. Conclusion This study shows that large socioeconomic inequalities in mortality exist in France, and that they have increased over time in both men and women.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
