Trends in educational inequalities in old age mortality in Norway 1961-2009: a prospective register based population study

• Published in: BMC public health 2012-10, Vol.12 (1), p.911-911, Article 911
• Main Authors: Moe, Joakim Oliu, Steingrímsdóttir, Ólöf Anna, Strand, Bjørn Heine, Grøholt, Else-Karin, Næss, Øyvind
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Age groups; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Censuses; Education; Educational aspects; Educational equalization; Educational Status; Emigration; Female; Forecasts and trends; Gender equality; Gerontology; Health aspects; Health trends; Humans; Inequality; Life expectancy; Male; Middle aged persons; Mortality; Mortality - trends; Mortality differentials; Nordic welfare model; Norway; Norway - epidemiology; Old age; Population; Prevention; Prospective Studies; Public health; Registries; Risk; Social inequality; Socioeconomic factors; Trends
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-911

The vast majority of deaths occur in older adults. Paradoxically, knowledge on long-term trends in mortality inequalities among the aged, and particularly for those aged 80 years and over, is sparse. The historical trends in size and impact of socioeconomic inequalities on old age mortality are important to monitor because they may give an indication on future burden of inequalities. We investigated trends in absolute and relative educational inequalities in old age mortality in Norway between 1961 and 2009. We did a register-based population study covering the entire Norwegian population aged 65-94 in the years 1961-2009 (1,534,513 deaths and 29,312,351 person years at risk). By examining 1-year mortality rates by gender, age and educational level we estimated trends in mortality rate ratios and rate differences. On average, age-standardised absolute inequalities increased by 0.17 deaths per 1000 person-years per year in men (P