Citation

Tunstall H, Mitchell R, Gibbs J, Platt S, Dorling D. J. Public Health (Oxford) 2012; 34(2): 296-304.

Affiliation

Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK. helena.tunstall@york.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/pubmed/fdr078

PMID

21994434

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is considerable unexplained variation in death rates between deprived areas of Britain. This analysis assesses the degree of variation in socio-demographic factors among deprivation deciles and how variables associated with deaths differ among the most deprived areas. METHODS: Death rates 1996-2001, Carstairs' 2001 deprivation score and indicators, population density, black and minority ethnic group (BME) and population change 1971-2001 were calculated for 641 parliamentary constituencies in Britain. Constituencies were grouped into Carstairs' deciles. We assessed standard errors of all variables by decile and the relationship between death rates and socio-demographic variables with Pearson's correlations and linear regression by decile and for all constituencies combined. RESULTS: Standard errors in death rates and most socio-demographic variables were greatest for the most deprived decile. Death rates among all constituencies were positively correlated with Carstairs' score and indicators, density and BME, but for the most deprived decile, there was no association with Carstairs and a negative correlation with overcrowding, density and BME. For the most deprived decile multivariate models containing population density, BME and change had substantially higher R(2). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding variations in death rates between deprived areas requires greater consideration of their socio-demographic diversity including their population density, ethnicity and migration.

Language: en