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A correction has been published: N Engl J Med 2008;359(12):e14.

Previous Volume 358:2468-2481 June 5, 2008 Number 23 Next

	Full Text PDF PDA Full Text PowerPoint Slide Set Supplementary Material Article as Originally Published Editorial by Berkman, L. Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear Related Article by De Vogli, R. Related Article

ABSTRACT

Background Comparisons among countries can help to identify opportunities for the reduction of inequalities in health. We compared the magnitude of inequalities in mortality and self-assessed health among 22 countries in all parts of Europe.

Methods We obtained data on mortality according to education level and occupational class from census-based mortality studies. Deaths were classified according to cause, including common causes, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer; causes related to smoking; causes related to alcohol use; and causes amenable to medical intervention, such as tuberculosis and hypertension. Data on self-assessed health, smoking, and obesity according to education and income were obtained from health or multipurpose surveys. For each country, the association between socioeconomic status and health outcomes was measured with the use of regression-based inequality indexes.

Results In almost all countries, the rates of death and poorer self-assessments of health were substantially higher in groups of lower socioeconomic status, but the magnitude of the inequalities between groups of higher and lower socioeconomic status was much larger in some countries than in others. Inequalities in mortality were small in some southern European countries and very large in most countries in the eastern and Baltic regions. These variations among countries appeared to be attributable in part to causes of death related to smoking or alcohol use or amenable to medical intervention. The magnitude of inequalities in self-assessed health also varied substantially among countries, but in a different pattern.

Conclusions We observed variation across Europe in the magnitude of inequalities in health associated with socioeconomic status. These inequalities might be reduced by improving educational opportunities, income distribution, health-related behavior, or access to health care.

Source Information

From the Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (J.P.M., I.S., A.-J.R.R., M.M.S., G.M., A.E.K.); INSERM Unité 687, Saint-Maurice, France (G.M.); the Stockholm Center on Health of Societies in Transition, Södertorn University College, Södertorn, Sweden (M.L.); and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia (M.L.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Mackenbach at the Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or at j.mackenbach{at}erasmusmc.nl.

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