Avoidable Mortality and Socioeconomic Deprivation in Europe: An Ecological Study across 431 Regions in 22 Countries, 2002–2019

Michael Muehlichen, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), Germany
Pavel Grigoriev, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), Germany
Rok Hrzic, Maastricht University
Mathias Lerch, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (epfl-eth)
Sebastian Kluesener, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), Germany

The concept of ‘avoidable mortality’ is an approach to estimating the level of mortality related to deficiencies in health policies. While most studies on avoidable mortality focus on national outcomes, we lack evidence on subnational variation and trends across wide parts of Europe, and how this variation is associated with local socioeconomic conditions. We collected cause-specific mortality data and socioeconomic indicators for 431 regions from 22 European countries and calculated standardized death rates for avoidable mortality for the period 2002–2019. In addition, to account for local socioeconomic conditions, we created a novel deprivation index that accounts for socioeconomic deprivation in a multidimensional manner. Differences in trends and spatial gradients in avoidable mortality are then analyzed for clusters of socioeconomic deprivation. Initial analyses reveal strong north-south and east-west gradients in avoidable mortality across Central Europe and a south-north gradient in Italy, as well as a particularly advantaged area comprising Switzerland, western Austria and northern Italy. The efficiency of health policies in ensuring timely and adequate health care and preventing risk-relevant behavior has particular room for improvement in the former Communist countries. In the final version of this communication, we will analyze how these patterns differ across differentially deprived regions.

Keywords: Mortality and Longevity, Spatial Demography, Health and Morbidity, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

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