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International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research

Changes in social inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in Southern Europe: the case of the Basque Country

Authors: Unai Martin, Santiago Esnaola

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Background

Health expectancy is a useful tool to monitor health inequalities. The evidence about the recent changes in social inequalities in healthy expectancy is relatively scarce and inconclusive, and most studies have focused on Anglo-Saxon and central or northern European countries. The objective of this study was to analyse the changes in socioeconomic inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in a Southern European population, the Basque Country, during the first decade of the 21st century.

Methods

This was an ecological cross-sectional study of temporal trends on the Basque population in 1999-2003 and 2004-2008. All-cause mortality rate, life expectancy, prevalence of disability and disability free-life expectancy were calculated for each period according to the deprivation level of the area of residence. The slope index of inequality and the relative index of inequality were calculated to summarize and compare the inequalities in the two periods.

Results

Disability free-life expectancy decreased as area deprivation increased both in men and in women. The difference between the most extreme groups in 2004-2008 was 6.7years in men and 3.7 in women. Between 1999-2003 and 2004-2008, socioeconomic inequalities in life expectancy decreased, and inequalities in disability-free expectancy increased in men and decreased in women.

Conclusions

This study found important socioeconomic inequalities in health expectancy in the Basque Country. These inequalities increased in men and decreased in women in the first decade of the 21st century, during which the Basque Country saw considerable economic growth.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Changes in social inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in Southern Europe: the case of the Basque Country
Authors
Unai Martin
Santiago Esnaola
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-014-0074-6

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