title: [Excess mortality in an inner-city area: the case of Ciutat Vella in Barcelona].
abstract: The purpose of this study is to compare mortality indicators in the district of Ciutat Vella (the more socio-economically deprived in Barcelona) with the entire city, for the 1983-87 period. Crude death rates, as well as age, sex and cause-specific deaths rates were calculated from vital statistics data; life expectancy, years of potential life lost (YPLL), the Comparative Mortality Figure (CMF) and avoidable mortality rates were also computed. All indicators point out at an excess of mortality in Ciutat Vella, when compared to the whole city. Life expectancy was 73 years (4 years less than for Barcelona as a whole); infant mortality was 15.6 per 1,000 births (as opposed to 9 for Barcelona). The CMF was 129 (95% confidence interval: 126.2-131.8), while the YPLL ratio was 182.1 (95% confidence interval: 173.1-191.8), mainly attributed to excess mortality due to tuberculosis, cirrhosis and to homicides and drug-related deaths. The percentage of avoidable deaths was 9.5% in Ciutat Vella compared with 8.23% for Barcelona as a whole. These data confirm the need to actively pursue intervention programs to improve health in Ciutat Vella, although further small-area analysis at the level of neighbourhood and of health care areas would be advisable.
authors.affiliation: Institut Municipal de la Salut de Barcelona.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borrell i Thió
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plasència i Taradach
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pañella i Noguera
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
vernacular_title: Excés de mortalitat en una àrea urbana cèntrica: el cas de Ciutat Vella a Barcelona.