title: Life expectancy of different ethnic groups using death records linked to population census data for 4.62 million people in Scotland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few countries record the data needed to estimate life expectancy by ethnic group. Such information is helpful in assessing the extent of health inequality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Life tables were created using 3 years of deaths (May 2001-April 2004) linked to Scottish 2001 Census data for 4.62 million individuals with self-reported ethnicity. We created 8 ethnic groups based on the census definitions, each with at least 5000 individuals and 40 deaths. Life expectancy at birth was calculated using the revised Chiang method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The life expectancy of White Scottish males at birth was 74.7 years (95% CI 74.6 to 74.8), similar to Mixed Background (73.0; 70.2 to 75.8) and White Irish (75.0; 74.0 to 75.9), but shorter than Indian (80.9; 78.4 to 83.4), Pakistani (79.3; 76.9 to 81.6), Chinese (79.0; 76.5 to 81.5), Other White British (78.9; 78.6 to 79.2) and Other White (77.2; 76.4 to 78.1). The life expectancy of White Scottish females was 79.4 years (79.3 to 79.5), similar to mixed background (79.3; 76.6 to 82.0), but shorter than Pakistani (84.6; 82.0 to 87.3), Chinese (83.4; 81.1 to 85.7), Indian (83.3; 80.7 to 85.9), Other White British (82.6; 82.3 to 82.9), other White (82.0; 81.3 to 82.8) and White Irish (81; 80.2 to 81.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Males and females in most of the larger ethnic minority groups in Scotland have longer life expectancies than the majority White Scottish population.
authors.affiliation: Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gruer
authors.affiliation: Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cézard
authors.affiliation: Demographic Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Esta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Public Health Science Directorate, NHS Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millard
authors.affiliation: Information Services, NHS National Services Scotland, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Srinivasa Vittal
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Katikireddi
authors.affiliation: Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhopal
keywords: ETHNICITY; INEQUALITIES; Life course epidemiology; MORTALITY