An article examined the interaction between socio-economic resources and geography in relation to mortality among the older retired population. Regional effects on mortality were found to be dependent on socio-economic disadvantage, and were therefore apparent for the most disadvantaged pensioners: but not for the least disadvantaged.
Source: Kenneth Howse, AnaMaria Madrigal, and Michelle Lim, 'Socio-geographic variations in mortality in a large retired UK population', Journal of Population Ageing, Volume 4 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article said that lower-educated individuals in European countries not only had shorter life expectancies but also faced greater uncertainty about the age at which they would die. More priority should be given to efforts to reduce the risk of an early death among lower-educated groups, for example by strengthening protective policies within and outside the healthcare system.
Source: Alyson van Raalte, Anton Kunst, Patrick Deboosere, Mall Leinsalu, Olle Lundberg, Pekka Martikainen, Bjorn Heine Strand, Barbara Artnik, Bogdan Wojtyniak, and Johan Mackenbach, 'More variation in lifespan in lower educated groups: evidence from 10 European countries', International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 40 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article presented estimates of annual mortality rates for women of working age by socio-economic classification for the period 2001-2008. Although overall mortality rates for women had declined over the period, this was not true for all classes. Routine occupations had had the greatest decline in mortality rate over the period, of approximately 5 deaths per 100,000 per annum.
Source: Brian Johnson and Alaa Al-Hamad, 'Trends in socio-economic inequalities in female mortality, 2001-08: intercensal estimates for England and Wales', Health Statistics Quarterly 52, Winter 2011, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined changes in life expectancy at birth and at age 65 by local area between 2004-2006 and 2008-2010. On average, life expectancy at birth had improved by 1.2 years for males and 1.0 year for females. But the gap between the local areas with the highest and lowest life expectancies had increased: at birth it had increased from 12.5 to 13.5 years for males, and from 10.1 to 11.8 years for females.
Source: Life Expectancy at Birth and at Age 65 by Local Areas in the United Kingdom, 2004-06 to 2008-10, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | TUC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Oct
A longitudinal study examined the links between work, permanent sickness, and mortality risk in England and Wales over the period 1971-2006. Working people had the lowest risk of premature death. Relative to working people, the permanently sick continued to have mortalities around 3 times higher among men and 4-5 times higher among women.
Source: Bola Akinwale, Kevin Lynch, Richard Wiggins, Seeromanie Harding, Mel Bartley, and David Blane, 'Work, permanent sickness and mortality risk: a prospective cohort study of England and Wales, 1971-2006', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Volume 65 Number 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined preliminary research designed to understand better why members of the generation born around 1930 had been enjoying higher rates of mortality improvement throughout their adult life than the generations either side of them.
Source: Shayla Goldring, Nigel Henretty, Julie Mills, Kate Johnson, and Steve Smallwood, 'Mortality of the ?golden generation?: what can the ONS Longitudinal Study tell us?', Population Trends 145, Autumn 2011, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article
Date: 2011-Sep
A statistical bulletin presented figures for male and female period life expectancy at birth and at age 65 for primary care areas. Life expectancy at birth improved from 76.5 to 77.9 years for males, and from 80.9 to 82.0 years for females, between 2003-2005 and 2007-2009. Life expectancy at age 65 also improved, from 16.7 to 17.8 years for men and from 19.4 to 20.4 years for women.
Source: Life Expectancy at Birth and at Age 65 for Health Areas in the United Kingdom, 2003-05 to 2007-09, Office for National Statistics
Links: TUC press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Notes: Link to report removed by ONS without explanation.
Date: 2011-Jun
A paper examined the concept of avoidable mortality – all those deaths that, given existing medical knowledge and technology, could be avoided by the healthcare system through prevention and/or treatment. No association was found between avoidable mortality and healthcare inputs: and no study had attempted to use the concept for the purpose originally envisaged, as a quality indicator of healthcare provision.
Source: Adriana Castelli and Olena Nizalova, Avoidable Mortality: What it means and how it is measured, Research Paper 63, Centre for Health Economics (University of York)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
A statistical bulletin presented the latest figures on the likelihood of living until the age of 75 (for England and Wales, regions, and local areas, for 2003-2005 to 2007-2009). In 2007-2009 males had a 68.4 per cent chance of surviving to age 75, and females had a 78.6 per cent chance – an increase from the 2003-2005 figures of 65.1 per cent and 76.5 per cent respectively.
Source: Probability of Survival to Age 75 for Local Areas in England and Wales, 2003-05 to 2007-09, Office for National Statistics
Links: Bulletin | TUC press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined the potential of the Annual Population Survey to provide robust estimates of disability-free life expectancy for men and women by clusters of area deprivation, English regions, and local authority districts.
Source: Michael Smith, Olugbenga Olatunde, and Chris White, 'Disability-free life expectancy: comparison of sources and small area estimates in England, 2006-08', Health Statistics Quarterly 50, Summer 2011, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article
Date: 2011-May
An article examined trends in life expectancy in European countries since 1970. All western European countries had shown increases in life expectancy: but the countries of central and eastern Europe, Russia, and other parts of the former Soviet Union had had a very different, and altogether more negative, experience.
Source: David Leon, 'Trends in European life expectancy: a salutary view', International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 40 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined the challenges involved in producing an analogous series of trends in life expectancy by National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) to that by Registrar General's social class (RGSC). A linked bulletin said that the greatest growth in life expectancy at birth for males between 1982-1986 and 2002-2006 was experienced by those assigned to the lower managerial and professional class, at 5.3 years. The least growth in life expectancy was in the two least advantaged classes – semi-routine and routine occupations – at 3.8 and 3.9 years respectively.
Source: Brian Johnson, 'Deriving trends in life expectancy by the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification using the ONS Longitudinal Study', Health Statistics Quarterly 49, Spring 2011, Office for National Statistics | Trends in Life Expectancy by the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification 1982-2006, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article | Bulletin | ONS press release
Date: 2011-Feb
An article said that smoking accounted for 40-60 per cent of the difference in mortality between men and women in European countries.
Source: Gerry McCartney, Lamia Mahmood, Alastair Leyland, David Batty, and Kate Hunt, 'Contribution of smoking-related and alcohol-related deaths to the gender gap in mortality: evidence from 30 European countries', Tobacco Control, Volume 20 Number 2
Links: Abstract | European Commission press release
Date: 2011-Feb