Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38355531›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in cause-specific premature mortality in Belgium, 1998-2019.

Martina Otavova, Bruno Masquelier, Christel Faes, Laura van den Borre, Bram Vandeninden, Eva de Clercq, Brecht Devleesschauwer

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Spatial Differences in Avoidable Mortality Across 581 European Districts, 2002-2019.European journal of population = Revue europeenne de demographie · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Martina OtavovaCenter for Demographic Research, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. martina.otavova@uclouvain.be.
Bruno MasquelierCenter for Demographic Research, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Christel FaesData Science Institute, I-BioStat, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
Laura van den BorreDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium.
Bram VandenindenData Science Institute, I-BioStat, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
Eva de ClercqDepartment of Risk and Health Impact Assessment, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium.
Brecht DevleesschauwerDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium.
Sciensano (Belgium) · BEGhent University · BEHasselt University · BEUniversité Libre de Bruxelles · BE

Funding

Belgian Federal Science Policy Office B2/191/P3/ELLIS
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigher levels of socioeconomic deprivation have been consistently associated with increased risk of premature mortality, but a detailed analysis by causes of death is lacking in Belgium. We aim to investigate the association between area deprivation and all-cause and cause-specific premature mortality in Belgium over the period 1998-2019.

methodsWe used the 2001 and 2011 Belgian Indices of Multiple Deprivation to assign statistical sectors, the smallest geographical units in the country, into deprivation deciles. All-cause and cause-specific premature mortality rates, population attributable fraction, and potential years of life lost due to inequality were estimated by period, sex, and deprivation deciles.

resultsMen and women living in the most deprived areas were 1.96 and 1.78 times more likely to die prematurely compared to those living in the least deprived areas over the period under study (1998-2019). About 28% of all premature deaths could be attributed to socioeconomic inequality and about 30% of potential years of life lost would be averted if the whole population of Belgium faced the premature mortality rates of the least deprived areas.

conclusionPremature mortality rates have declined over time, but inequality has increased due to a faster pace of decrease in the least deprived areas compared to the most deprived areas. As the causes of death related to poor lifestyle choices contribute the most to the inequality gap, more effective, country-level interventions should be put in place to target segments of the population living in the most deprived areas as they are facing disproportionately high risks of dying.

Indexed as

Health Status DisparitiesMortality, PrematureBelgiumCause of DeathFemaleHumansMaleMortalitySocioeconomic FactorsArea-based measure of inequalityBelgian Indices of Multiple deprivationBelgiumCauses of deathPremature mortality

Identifiers

PMID38355531
PMCPMC10868013
OpenAlexW4391812276

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.