Educational inequalities in cancer mortality differ greatly between countries around the Baltic Sea.
OBJECTIVE
To compare educational inequalities in cancer mortality between Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Sweden.


METHODS
Data are either follow-up or unlinked cross-sectional studies. The relative index of inequality (RII) and the slope index of inequality (SII) are calculated to express the magnitude of mortality differences according to educational level for all cancers and for specific cancers.


RESULTS
Large educational inequalities in total cancer mortality were observed, particularly amongst men. Inequalities in upper aero-digestive tract and lung cancer in men and cervix cancer in women were larger in Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, whereas inequalities in lung cancer in women were larger in Finland and Sweden.


CONCLUSIONS
Countries of the Baltic Sea region differ strongly with regard to the magnitude and pattern of the educational inequalities in cancer mortality.
Ezendam
Nicole P M
NP
Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Room AE-139, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. n.ezendam@erasmusmc.nl
Stirbu
Irina
I
Leinsalu
Mall
M
Lundberg
Olle
O
Kalediene
Ramune
R
Wojtyniak
Bogdan
B
Martikainen
Pekka
P
Mackenbach
Johan
J
Kunst
Anton
A
D017677:Age Distribution; D001454:Baltic States / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology