title: Regional mortality by socioeconomic factors in Slovakia: a comparison of 15 years of changes.
abstract: Like most Central European countries Slovakia has experienced a period of socioeconomic changes and at the same time a decline in the mortality rate. Therefore, the aim is to study socioeconomic factors that changed over time and simultaneously contributed to regional differences in mortality.
  
  
  
  The associations between selected socioeconomic indicators and the standardised mortality rate in the population aged 20-64 years in the districts of the Slovak Republic in the periods 1997-1998 and 2012-2013 were analysed using linear regression models.
  
  
  
  A higher proportion of inhabitants in material need, and among males also lower income, significantly contributed to higher standardised mortality in both periods. The unemployment rate did not contribute to this prediction. Between the two periods no significant changes in regional mortality differences by the selected socioeconomic factors were found.
  
  
  
  Despite the fact that economic growth combined with investments of European structural funds contributed to the improvement of the socioeconomic situation in many districts of Slovakia, there are still districts which remain "poor" and which maintain regional mortality differences.
authors.affiliation: Kosice Self-governing Region, Department of Regional Development, Land-use Planning and Environment, Nam. Maratonu mieru 1, 042 66, Kosice, Slovakia. katarina.rosicova@vucke.sk.|Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia. katarina.rosicova@vucke.sk.|Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia. katarina.rosicova@vucke.sk.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6475-9778
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosicova
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.|Faculty of Business Economics, Department of Quantitative Methods, University of Economics in Bratislava, Kosice, Slovakia.|Olomouc University Society and Health Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bosakova
authors.affiliation: Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.|Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.|Olomouc University Society and Health Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madarasova Geckova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, Presov, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosic
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Business Economics, Department of Quantitative Methods, University of Economics in Bratislava, Kosice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrejkovic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Žežula
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Occupational Health, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Groothoff
authors.affiliation: Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.|Olomouc University Society and Health Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.|Department of Community and Occupational Health, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jitse P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Dijk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Income; Material needs; Mortality; Regional differences; Unemployment