[A proposal for an indicator to analyse equity on the health of populations]. / Una proposta di indicatore per analizzare l'equità nei dati riguardanti la salute delle popolazioni.

ABSTRACT

In epidemiological analyses, age is often considered only as a confounder, since its role as a determinant is evident. As a result, most analyses attempt to adjust the analysis by eliminating age differences in the examined populations. Due to different phenomena, however, the effects are not always shown at the same age, then an early occurrence allows a better measurement of the risk than the general average prevalence. The indicator here proposed is defined as the age at which a certain proportion of the population assumes the analysed condition. It applies to dichotomous variables with a monotone trend, both increasing and decreasing, and can highlight risk situations to which the populations examined are exposed better than other indicators. The application of this indicator to the health data of the Eu-silc (statistics on income and living conditions) survey by Eurostat here analysed allows to highlight the important inequalities between the populations of geographical areas and social classes with different incomes. The biggest differences are observed around 50 years of age and are increasing from the three-year period 2007-2009 to the three-year period 2013/2015.