title: Ethnic differences in all-cause mortality rates in Kazakhstan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article explores mortality rates in Kazakhstan by ethnic group and some of the potential lifestyle factors that might help to explain the observed differences on a population level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated cross-sectional data analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We calculated age-standardized mortality rates from all causes by ethnic group, gender and age for 2009-2012. We analysed data on self-reported alcohol and tobacco consumption and other lifestyle factors from the nationally representative 5th National Behavior Study, conducted in 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age-standardized all-cause mortality rates are generally much higher among ethnic Russians than among ethnic Kazakhs, both among women and men and in rural as well as urban areas. These differences are most pronounced in the age group 20-59 years. Information on self-reported alcohol consumption and smoking by ethnic group, gender and age shows major differences between ethnic groups, with consistently higher rates of alcohol consumption and smoking among ethnic Russians, both in women and men and across all adult age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Policies to improve the health of the population of Kazakhstan must take account of ethnic differences.
authors.affiliation: Republican Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davletov
authors.affiliation: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.affiliation: Republican Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berkinbayev
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Problems of Healthy Lifestyles Development, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Battakova
authors.affiliation: Republican Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhussupov
authors.affiliation: Republican Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amirov
authors.affiliation: Republican Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Junusbekova
authors.affiliation: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Bernd.Rechel@lshtm.ac.uk.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rechel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007623:Kazakhstan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol consumption; Ethnic groups; Kazakhstan; Mortality; Smoking