Educational inequalities in tuberculosis mortality in sixteen European populationsShow others and affiliations
2011 (English)In: The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, ISSN 1027-3719, E-ISSN 1815-7920, Vol. 15, no 11, p. 1461-1467Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
OBJECTIVE: To describe the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in tuberculosis (TB) mortality by level of education in male, female, urban and rural populations in several European countries. DESIGN: Data were obtained from the Eurothine Project, covering 16 populations between 1990 and 2003. Age- and sex-standardised mortality rates, the relative index of inequality and the slope index of inequality were used to assess educational inequalities. RESULTS: The number of TB deaths reported was 8530, with a death rate of 3 per 100000 per year, of which 73% were males. Educational inequalities in TB mortality were present in all European populations. Inequalities in TB mortality were greater than in total mortality. Relative and absolute inequalities were large in Eastern European and Baltic countries but relatively small in Southern European countries and in Norway, Finland and Sweden. Inequalities in mortality were observed among both men and women, and in both rural and urban populations. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic inequalities in TB mortality exist in all European countries. Firm political commitment is required to reduce inequalities in the social determinants of TB incidence. Targeted public health measures are called for to improve access to treatment of vulnerable groups and thereby reduce TB mortality.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2011. Vol. 15, no 11, p. 1461-1467
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Research subject
Other research area; Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-13416DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.10.0252ISI: 000296174400010PubMedID: 22008757Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-80053992666OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-13416DiVA, id: diva2:458001
Part of project
Health and Population Developments in Eastern Europe in the Conditions of Economic Crisis, The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, A052-20102011-11-212011-11-212022-07-04Bibliographically approved