Educational inequalities in premature mortality in Poland, 2002-2011: a population-based cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study is to evaluate the differences in premature mortality between educational groups of Polish inhabitants in 2002 and 2011.


METHODS
The analysis included all deaths among inhabitants of Poland, aged 25-64 years, which occurred in 2002 (N=97 004) and 2011 (N=104 598). We calculated age-standardised death rates (SDRs) and summary measures on inequalities. The relative index of inequality (RII) was calculated with Poisson regression.


RESULTS
The SDR for Poland decreased from 285.7 per 100 000 in 2002 to 246.0 in 2011 among males with higher education and increased from 1141.0 in 2002 to 1183.0 in 2011 among males with lower secondary or less education (the rate ratio increased from 4.0 to 4.8). With regard to females with higher education, the SDR decreased from 127.2 per 100 000 in 2002 to 115.6 in 2011. Among females with lower secondary or less education, the SDR increased from 375.8 per 100 000 in 2002 to 423.1 in 2011 (the rate ratio increased from 3.0 to 3.7). The RII increased from 5.8 to 9.7 in the male group and from 4.4 to 8.3 in the female group. The greatest educational inequalities in 2011 were observed in females who died of cardiovascular diseases (RII=14.9) and lung cancer (RII=6.6) and in males who died of suicides (RII=19.3) and lung cancer (RII=11.9).


CONCLUSIONS
Educational inequalities in premature mortality in Poland are growing. There is a need to implement health education programmes targeted at groups of the most poorly educated Polish inhabitants, especially for diseases resulting from smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Chair of Social and Preventive Medicine of the Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Pikala
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Chair of Social and Preventive Medicine of the Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Monika
M
Burzyn Ska
Faculty of Technical Physics, Information Technology and Applied Mathematics, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland.
Robert
R
Pikala
Department of Social Medicine, The Chair of Social and Preventive Medicine of the Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Marek
M
Bryła
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Chair of Social and Preventive Medicine of the Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Irena
I
Maniecka-Bryła
Poland; educational status; health status disparities; premature mortality; socioeconomic factors
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