title: Ethnic differences in diabetes-related mortality in the Brussels-Capital Region (2001-05): the role of socioeconomic position.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine if and to what extent ethnic differences in diabetes-related mortality are associated with differences in education and housing status.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data consist of a cohort study linking the 2001 census to emigration and mortality data for the period 2001-05. The study population comprises all Belgian and North African inhabitants of the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR) aged 25-74. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) (direct standardization) and mortality rate ratios (MRRS) (Poisson regression) are computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  North Africans have a higher diabetes-related mortality compared to Belgians. The ASMRs for North African and Belgian women are 54.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 31.5-78.2) and 23.8 (95% CI 20.3-27.3), respectively. These differences in diabetes-related mortality largely disappear when differences in education are taken into account. The MRRs for North African versus Belgian origin drop from 1.62 (95% CI 1.11-2.37) to 1.19 (95% CI 0.73-1.93) in men and from 3.35 (95% CI 2.08-5.41) to 1.88 (95% CI 0.95-3.69) in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in education play an important part in the excess diabetes-related mortality among North Africans in the BCR.
authors.affiliation: Interface Demography, Department of Social Research, Faculty of Economic, Political and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2 Pleinlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. hadewijch.vandenheede@vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Hadewijch
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vandenheede
authors.forename: Lies
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lammens
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deboosere
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gadeyne
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Spiegelaere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium / Q000208:ethnology; D019352:Censuses; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality*; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012923:Social Class