Research objectives
Background
Reducing the premature mortality is a crucial public health objective, since most of those deaths could in some extent be avoided. In Belgium as in all industrialized countries, the premature mortality has declined strongly over the last decennia. However, important regional and socio-economic disparity exists.
Objectives
After an update of the leading causes of premature deaths and their evolution change over the last 15 years, this work will first explore the geographical disparities at the district level. It will continue with the exploration of socio-economic disparities in premature mortality. Several inequality indices will be calculated and compared over time.
Data and methods
The first steps will make use of the Belgian Mortality Database (Statistics Belgium). The level of premature mortality by cause will be calculated both in age-adjusted rates and in potential years of life lost. Choropleth maps with a relative scale will be used as an analysis and interpretation tool. The socio-economic disparities will make use of the Census 1991 and 2001 databases, merged with the causes of deaths (VUB, Interface Demography). Age-adjusted rate ratios, absolute differences in rates, relative index of inequality and slope index of inequality will be calculated. This will be done as well for all-cause mortality as for one potentially avoidable cause.
