Patterns of mortality in second generation Irish living in England and Wales: longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the mortality of second generation Irish living in England and Wales.


METHODS
Longitudinal study of 1% of the population of England and Wales (longitudinal study by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (now the Office for National Statistics)) followed up from 1971 to 1989.


METHODS
3075 men and 3233 women aged 15 and over in 1971.


METHODS
Age and sex specific standardised mortality ratios for all causes, cancers, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and injuries and poisonings. Deaths were also analysed by socioeconomic indicators.


RESULTS
786 deaths were traced to men and 762 to women. At working ages (men, aged 15-64; women, 15-59) the mortality of men (standardised mortality ratio 126) and women (129) was significantly higher than that of all men and all women. At ages 15-44, relative disadvantages were even greater both for men (145) and for women (164). Mortality was raised for most major causes of death. Significant excess mortality from cancers was seen for men of working age (132) and for women aged 60 and over (122). At working ages mortality of the second generation Irish in every social class and in the categories of car access and housing tenure was higher than that of all men and all women in the corresponding categories. Adjusting for these socioeconomic indicators did not explain the excess mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Mortality of second generation Irish men and women was higher than that of all men and all women and for most major causes of death. While socioeconomic factors remain important, cultural and lifestyle factors are likely to contribute to this adverse mortality.
Harding
S
S
Longitudinal Study Unit, Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, London.
Balarajan
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000208:ethnology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000208:ethnology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology