Magnitude and Temporal Variations of Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Quality of Life After Early Breast Cancer: Results From the Multicentric French CANTO Cohort.

PURPOSE: Socioeconomic status (SES) influences the survival outcomes of patients with early breast cancer (EBC). However, limited research investigates social inequalities in their quality of life (QoL). This study examines the socioeconomic inequalities in QoL after an EBC diagnosis and their time trends. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used data from the French prospective multicentric CANTO cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01993498), including women with EBC enrolled between 2012 and 2018. QoL was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Core 30 questionnaire (QLQ-C30). summary score at diagnosis and 1 and 2 years postdiagnosis. We considered three indicators of SES separately: self-reported financial difficulties, household income, and educational level. We first analyzed the trajectories of the QLQ-C30 summary score by SES group. Then, social inequalities in QLQ-C30 summary score and their time trends were quantified using the regression-based slope index of inequality (SII), representing the absolute change in the outcome along socioeconomic gradient extremes. The analyses were adjusted for age at diagnosis, Charlson Comorbidity Index, disease stage, and type of local and systemic treatment. RESULTS: Among the 5,915 included patients with data on QoL at diagnosis and at the 2-year follow-up, social inequalities in QLQ-C30 summary score at baseline were statistically significant for all SES indicators (SIIfinancial difficulties = -7.6 [-8.9; -6.2], SIIincome = -4.0 [-5.2; -2.8]), SIIeducation = -1.9 [-3.1; -0.7]). These inequalities significantly increased (interaction P < .05) in year 1 and year 2 postdiagnosis, irrespective of prediagnosis health, tumor characteristics, and treatment. Similar results were observed in subgroups defined by menopausal status and type of adjuvant systemic treatment. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of preexisting inequalities in QoL increased over time after EBC diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of considering social determinants of health during comprehensive cancer care planning.

Risk factors for head and neck cancer in more and less developed countries: Analysis from the INHANCE consortium.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the pooled case-control data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium to compare cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption risk factors for head and neck cancer between less developed and more developed countries. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The location of each study was categorized as either a less developed or more developed country. We compared the risk of overall head and neck cancer and cancer of specific anatomic subsites associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Additionally, age and sex distribution between categories was compared. RESULTS: The odds ratios for head and neck cancer sites associated with smoking duration differed between less developed and more developed countries. Smoking greater than 20 years conferred a higher risk for oral cavity and laryngeal cancer in more developed countries, whereas the risk was greater for oropharynx and hypopharynx cancer in less developed countries. Alcohol consumed for more than 20 years conferred a higher risk for oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx cancer in less developed countries. The proportion of cases that were young (<45 years) or female differed by country type for some HNC subsites. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest the degree of industrialization and economic development affects the relationship between smoking and alcohol with head and neck cancer.

Corrigendum: Social Inequalities in Participation in Cervical Cancer Screening in a Metropolitan Area Implementing a Pilot Organised Screening Programme (Paris Region, France).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604562.].

Social Inequalities in Participation in Cervical Cancer Screening in a Metropolitan Area Implementing a Pilot Organised Screening Programme (Paris Region, France).

Objectives: We aimed to examine social inequalities in participation in cervical cancer screening (CCS) in a metropolitan area by implementing a pilot organised screening programme. The pilot programme consisted of sending invitations to women who did not perform a pap smear within the past 3 years, managing interventions to reach vulnerable women, training healthcare professionals, and organising follow-ups of abnormal pap smears. Methods: We studied participation in CCS between January 2014 and December 2016 among 241,257 women aged 25-63 years old. To assess relative inequalities, Odds Ratios were computed using multilevel logistic regression. To assess absolute inequalities, the CCS coverage and the rate difference were calculated. Inequalities were computed by age and neighbourhood characteristics (social deprivation and proportion of single women). Results: Disparities in participation in CCS were observed by age and social deprivation. For overall screening compared to opportunistic screening, disparities by age were larger (OR25-35_vs._55-64 = 2.13 [2.08-2.19] compared to 2.02 [1.96-2.07]), but disparities by social deprivation were decreased (OR10%_most_vs._10%_least_deprived = 2.09 [1.90-2.30] compared to 2.22 [2.02-2.44]). Conclusion: Disparities in CCS participation remain despite the organised programme. To reduce these inequalities, free screening should be proposed and evaluated.

Social inequalities in participation in cancer screening: does the mode of data collection matter? The CONSTANCES cohort.

BACKGROUND: Self-reported data are prone to item non-response and misreporting. We investigated to what extent the use of self-reported data for participation in breast (BCS) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) impacted socioeconomic inequalities in cancer screening participation. METHODS: We used data from a large population-based survey including information on cancer screening from self-reported questionnaire and administrative records (n = 14 122 for BCS, n = 27 120 CCS). For educational level, occupation class and household income per capita, we assessed the accuracy of self-reporting using sensitivity, specificity and both positive and negative predictive value. In addition, we estimated to what extent the use of self-reported data modified the magnitude of socioeconomic differences in BCS and CCS participation with age-adjusted non-screening rate difference, odds ratios and relative indices of inequality. RESULTS: Although women with a high socioeconomic position were more prone to report a date for BCS and CCS in questionnaires, they were also more prone to over-declare their participation in CCS if they had not undergone a screening test within the recommended time frame. The use of self-reported cancer screening data, when compared with administrative records, did not impact the magnitude of social differences in BCS participation but led to an overestimation of the social differences in CCS participation. This was due to misreporting rather than to item non-response. CONCLUSIONS: Women's socioeconomic position is associated with missingness and the accuracy of self-reported BCS and CCS participation. Social inequalities in cancer screening participation based on self-reports are likely to be overestimated for CCS.

Women with obesity in cervical cancer screening. The double penalty: Underscreening and income inequalities.

The regular performance of Pap tests reduces the mortality of cervical cancer. Obesity is associated with low Pap test rates. We analyze the combined role of obesity and low income. We calculated a Slope Index of Inequality. Among the 28,905 women included, 23.1% were underscreened. The rate of underscreening increased with BMI. The income gradient increased significantly from 0.17 among normal-weight women to 0.19 in overweight and 0.23 in obese women (p = 0.047). Women who are obese are subject to a double penalty in cervical cancer screening: they are underscreened and subject to a more unfavorable economic gradient than normalweight women.

Smoking and inequalities in mortality in 11 European countries: a birth cohort analysis.

PURPOSE: To study the trends of smoking-attributable mortality among the low and high educated in consecutive birth cohorts in 11 European countries. METHODS: Register-based mortality data were collected among adults aged 30 to 79 years in 11 European countries between 1971 and 2012. Smoking-attributable deaths were estimated indirectly from lung cancer mortality rates using the Preston-Glei-Wilmoth method. Rate ratios and rate differences among the low and high-educated were estimated and used to estimate the contribution of inequality in smoking-attributable mortality to inequality in total mortality. RESULTS: In most countries, smoking-attributable mortality decreased in consecutive birth cohorts born between 1906 and 1961 among low- and high-educated men and high-educated women, but not among low-educated women among whom it increased. Relative educational inequalities in smoking-attributable mortality increased among both men and women with no signs of turning points. Absolute inequalities were stable among men but slightly increased among women. The contribution of inequality in smoking-attributable mortality to inequality in total mortality decreased in consecutive generations among men but increased among women. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking might become less important as a driver of inequalities in total mortality among men in the future. However, among women, smoking threatens to further widen inequalities in total mortality.

Determinants of inequalities in years with disability: an international-comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Persons with a lower socioeconomic position spend more years with disability, despite their shorter life expectancy, but it is unknown what the important determinants are. This study aimed to quantify the contribution to educational inequalities in years with disability of eight risk factors: father's manual occupation, low income, few social contacts, smoking, high alcohol consumption, high body-weight, low physical exercise and low fruit and vegetable consumption. METHODS: We collected register-based mortality and survey-based disability and risk factor data from 15 European countries covering the period 2010-14 for most countries. We calculated years with disability between the ages of 35 and 80 by education and gender using the Sullivan method, and determined the hypothetical effect of changing the prevalence of each risk factor to the prevalence observed among high educated ('upward levelling scenario'), using Population Attributable Fractions. RESULTS: Years with disability among low educated were higher than among high educated, with a difference of 4.9 years among men and 5.5 years among women for all countries combined. Most risk factors were more prevalent among low educated. We found the largest contributions to inequalities in years with disability for low income (men: 1.0 year; women: 1.4 year), high body-weight (men: 0.6 year; women: 1.2 year) and father's manual occupation (men: 0.7 year; women: 0.9 year), but contributions differed by country. The contribution of smoking was relatively small. CONCLUSIONS: Disadvantages in material circumstances (low income), circumstances during childhood (father's manual occupation) and high body-weight contribute to inequalities in years with disability.

Why do apprentices smoke much more than high school students? Understanding educational disparities in smoking with a Oaxaca-blinder decomposition analysis.

BACKGROUND: Educational disparities in daily smoking begin during adolescence and can lead to educational disparities in health among adults. In particular, vocational students including apprentices have higher daily smoking rates compared to non-vocational students. This study aimed to identify the determinants of the gap in daily smoking between French apprentices and high school students aged 17 in 2008 and in 2017. METHODS: We used data from a cross-sectional repeated survey representative of all French adolescents aged 17 in 2008 and 2017. We conducted a non-linear extension of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition technique and included the following variables: sociodemographic and familial characteristics, parental smoking, cannabis and alcohol use, suicidal attempt, grade repetition and money received. RESULTS: Daily smoking was about two times higher among French apprentices compared to high school students in 2008. This gap did not decrease between 2008 and 2017. Differences in measured characteristics between the two groups explained this gap partly, from 28.6 to 51.2%. Cannabis and alcohol use, money received and parental smoking contributed the most to the daily smoking gap. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention programs could target cannabis and alcohol use as well as parental smoking to help decrease educational disparities in smoking status among French adolescents.

The determinants of cervical cancer screening uptake in women with obesity: application of the Andersen's behavioral model to the CONSTANCES survey.

PURPOSE: Despite their higher risk for and mortality from cervical cancer, evidence indicates low rates of cervical cancer screening (CCS) among women with obesity. The literature on the specific factors related to CCS nonadherence in this population is limited. METHODS: We examined the data on 2,934 women with obesity included in the CONSTANCES survey from 2012 to 2015. Using the Andersen's behavioral model, we studied the relationships between the socioeconomic, sociodemographic, health, health personal behaviors, and healthcare use-related factors with CCS nonadherence. The analysis was performed using structural equation models. RESULTS: Regular follow-up by a gynecologist, good quality of primary care follow-up, and comorbidities were negatively associated with CCS nonadherence. Limited literacy, older age, being single, living without children, and financial strain were positively associated with CCS nonadherence. Our results do not point to competitive care, since women with comorbidities had better CCS behaviors, which were explained by a good quality of primary care follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study identified the factors that explain CCS nonadherence among women with obesity and clarified the effects of health status and healthcare use on screening. Further efforts should be undertaken to reduce the obstacles to CCS by improving care among women with obesity.

[Social inequalities in health: an epidemiological perspective]. / Inégalités sociales de santé : données de cadrage épidémiologique.

Social inequalities in health : an epidemiological perspective. Large social inequalities in mortality are observed in France as in most countries. In a context of decrease in mortality rates, the situation is encouraging among men, with a decrease over time of the difference in mortality between the most and least educated. On the contrary, social inequalities among women are on the rise, mostly due to trends in smoking-related mortality. The determinants of social inequalities in health are diverse and complex. Research is needed to precisely understand the mechanisms at stake and assess the role of the personal and work environment as well as the health care system, which are major determinants of social inequalities regardless individual behaviors.

Inégalités sociales de santé : données de cadrage épidémiologique. Il existe de fortes inégalités sociales de mortalité en France comme dans l'ensemble des pays. Dans un contexte de baisse de la mortalité, la situation est encourageante chez les hommes avec une diminution au cours du temps de l'écart de mortalité entre ces deux groupes. Au contraire, chez les femmes les inégalités sociales de mortalité augmentent et cette tendance défavorable est en grande partie expliquée par la mortalité due au tabac. Les déterminants à l'origine des inégalités sociales de santé sont multiples. Des études sont nécessaires pour bien comprendre les mécanismes à l'oeuvre, et évaluer le rôle du contexte de vie personnelle et professionnelle et du système de soins qui sont des déterminants majeurs des inégalités indépendamment des comportements individuels.

The respective parts of incidence and lethality in socioeconomic differences in cancer mortality. An analysis of the French network Cancer registries (FRANCIM) data.

BACKGROUND: To determine relevant public health actions and to guide intervention priorities, it is of great importance to assess the relative contribution of incidence and lethality to social inequalities in cancer mortality. METHODS: The study population comprised 185,518 cases of cancer diagnosed between 2006 and 2009 recorded in the French registries. Survival was known for each patient (endpoint: 30/06/2013). Deprivation was assessed using the European Deprivation Index. We studied the influence of deprivation on mortality, incidence and lethality rates and quantified the respective proportions of incidence and lethality in social inequalities in mortality by calculating attributable deaths. RESULTS: For cancers with social inequalities both in incidence and lethality, excess mortality in deprived was mainly caused by social inequalities in incidence (e.g. men lung cancer: 87% of excess deaths in the deprived caused by inequalities in incidence). Proportions were more balanced for some cancer sites (e.g. cervical cancer: 56% incidence, 44% lethality). For cancer sites with a higher incidence in the least deprived (e.g. breast cancer), the excess-lethality in deprived leads entirely the higher mortality among the deprived. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the excess mortality in deprived is due to the excess incidence of tobacco-dependent cancers and the excess lethality of screenable cancers.

Progress against inequalities in mortality: register-based study of 15 European countries between 1990 and 2015.

Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality are a challenge for public health around the world, but appear to be resistant to policy-making. We aimed to identify European countries which have been more successful than others in narrowing inequalities in mortality, and the factors associated with narrowing inequalities. We collected and harmonised mortality data by educational level in 15 European countries over the last 25 years, and quantified changes in inequalities in mortality using a range of measures capturing different perspectives on inequality (e.g., 'relative' and 'absolute' inequalities, inequalities in 'attainment' and 'shortfall'). We determined which causes of death contributed to narrowing of inequalities, and conducted country- and period-fixed effects analyses to assess which country-level factors were associated with narrowing of inequalities in mortality. Mortality among the low educated has declined rapidly in all European countries, and a narrowing of absolute, but not relative inequalities was seen in many countries. Best performers were Austria, Italy (Turin) and Switzerland among men, and Spain (Barcelona), England and Wales, and Austria among women. Ischemic heart disease, smoking-related causes (men) and amenable causes often contributed to narrowing inequalities. Trends in income inequality, level of democracy and smoking were associated with widening inequalities, but rising health care expenditure was associated with narrowing inequalities. Trends in inequalities in mortality have not been as unfavourable as often claimed. Our results suggest that health care expansion has counteracted the inequalities widening effect of other influences.

Social distribution of tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and obesity in the French West Indies.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking, alcohol and obesity are important risk factors for a number of non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of these risk factors differ by socioeconomic group in most populations, but this socially stratified distribution may depend on the social and cultural context. Little information on this topic is currently available in the Caribbean. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and obesity by several socioeconomic determinants in the French West Indies (FWI). METHODS: We used data from a cross-sectional health survey conducted in Guadeloupe and Martinique in 2014 in a representative sample of the population aged 15-75 years (n = 4054). All analyses were stratified by gender, and encompassed sample weights, calculated to account for the sampling design and correct for non-response. For each risk factor, we calculated weighted prevalence by income, educational level, occupational class and having hot water at home. Poisson regression models were used to estimate age-adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Current smoking and harmful chronic alcohol use were more common in men than in women (PR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.55-2.09; PR = 4.53, 95% CI = 3.38-6.09 respectively). On the other hand, the prevalence of obesity was higher in women than in men (PR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.57-0.79). Higher education, higher occupational class and higher income were associated with lower prevalence of harmful alcohol drinking in men (PR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.25-0.72; PR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.53-1.01; PR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.51-1.03 respectively), but not in women. For tobacco smoking, no variation by socioeconomic status was observed in men whereas the prevalence of current smoking was higher among women with higher occupational class (PR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.13-1.91) and higher income (PR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.11-2.03). In women, a lower prevalence of obesity was associated with a higher income (PR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.33-0.56), a higher occupational class (PR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.50-0.80), a higher educational level (PR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.26-0.50) and having hot water at home (PR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.54-0.80). CONCLUSION: Women of high socio-economic status were significantly more likely to be smokers, whereas alcohol drinking in men and obesity in women were inversely associated with socioeconomic status.

Determinants of inequalities in life expectancy: an international comparative study of eight risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic inequalities in longevity have been found in all European countries. We aimed to assess which determinants make the largest contribution to these inequalities. METHODS: We did an international comparative study of inequalities in risk factors for shorter life expectancy in Europe. We collected register-based mortality data and survey-based risk factor data from 15 European countries. We calculated partial life expectancies between the ages of 35 years and 80 years by education and gender and determined the effect on mortality of changing the prevalence of eight risk factors-father with a manual occupation, low income, few social contacts, smoking, high alcohol consumption, high bodyweight, low physical exercise, and low fruit and vegetable consumption-among people with a low level of education to that among people with a high level of education (upward levelling scenario), using population attributable fractions. FINDINGS: In all countries, a substantial gap existed in partial life expectancy between people with low and high levels of education, of 2·3-8·2 years among men and 0·6-4·5 years among women. The risk factors contributing most to the gap in life expectancy were smoking (19·8% among men and 18·9% among women), low income (9·7% and 13·4%), and high bodyweight (7·7% and 11·7%), but large differences existed between countries in the contribution of risk factors. Sensitivity analyses using the prevalence of risk factors in the most favourable country (best practice scenario) showed that the potential for reducing the gap might be considerably smaller. The results were also sensitive to varying assumptions about the mortality risks associated with each risk factor. INTERPRETATION: Smoking, low income, and high bodyweight are quantitatively important entry points for policies to reduce educational inequalities in life expectancy in most European countries, but priorities differ between countries. A substantial reduction of inequalities in life expectancy requires policy actions on a broad range of health determinants. FUNDING: European Commission and Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging, and Retirement.

General practitioners who never perform Pap smear: the medical offer and the socio-economic context around their office could limit their involvement in cervical cancer screening.

BACKGROUND: In France, with the growing scarcity of gynecologists and a globally low and socially differentiated coverage of cervical cancer screening (CCS), general practitioners (GPs) are valuable resources to improve screening services for women. Still all GPs do not perform Pap smears. In order to promote this screening among GPs, the characteristics of physicians who never perform CCS should be more precisely specified. Besides already-known individual characteristics, the contextual aspects of the physicians' office, such as gynecologist density in the area, could shape GPs gynecological activities. METHODS: To analyze county (département) characteristics of GPs' office associated with no performance of CCS, we used a representative sample of 1063 French GPs conducted in 2009 and we constructed mixed models with two levels, GP and county. RESULTS: Almost 35% (n = 369) of the GPs declared never performing CCS. GPs working in counties with a poor GP-density per inhabitants were more likely to perform CCS (odds ratio (OR) = 0.52 for each increase of density by 1 GP per 10,000 inhabitants, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.37-0.74). On the contrary, GPs working in counties with an easier access to a gynecologist were more likely not to perform CCS (OR = 1.06 for each increase of density by 1 gynecologist per 100,000 women, 95%CI = 1.03-1.10 and OR = 2.02 if the first gynecologist is reachable in less than 15 min, 95%CI = 1.20-3.41) as well as GPs working in areas with a poverty rate above the national average (OR = 1.66, 95%CI = 1.09-2.54). These contextual characteristics explain most of the differences between counties concerning rates of not performing CCS. CONCLUSIONS: Specific programs should be developed for GPs working in contexts unfavorable to their involvement in CCS.

Mortality inequalities by occupational class among men in Japan, South Korea and eight European countries: a national register-based study, 1990-2015.

BACKGROUND: We compared mortality inequalities by occupational class in Japan and South Korea with those in European countries, in order to determine whether patterns are similar. METHODS: National register-based data from Japan, South Korea and eight European countries (Finland, Denmark, England/Wales, France, Switzerland, Italy (Turin), Estonia, Lithuania) covering the period between 1990 and 2015 were collected and harmonised. We calculated age-standardised all-cause and cause-specific mortality among men aged 35-64 by occupational class and measured the magnitude of inequality with rate differences, rate ratios and the average inter-group difference. RESULTS: Clear gradients in mortality were found in all European countries throughout the study period: manual workers had 1.6-2.5 times higher mortality than upper non-manual workers. However, in the most recent time-period, upper non-manual workers had higher mortality than manual workers in Japan and South Korea. This pattern emerged as a result of a rise in mortality among the upper non-manual group in Japan during the late 1990s, and in South Korea during the late 2000s, due to rising mortality from cancer and external causes (including suicide), in addition to strong mortality declines among lower non-manual and manual workers. CONCLUSION: Patterns of mortality by occupational class are remarkably different between European countries and Japan and South Korea. The recently observed patterns in the latter two countries may be related to a larger impact on the higher occupational classes of the economic crisis of the late 1990s and the late 2000s, respectively, and show that a high socioeconomic position does not guarantee better health.

Social inequalities in health and mental health in France. The results of a 2010 population-based survey in Paris Metropolitan Area.

The present study aimed to assess socioeconomic inequalities in general and mental health, depression and substance use disorders (daily tobacco use, hazardous alcohol use). Data from the 2010 SIRS (French acronym for Health, Inequalities, and Social Ruptures) study, which is deemed to be representative of the French-speaking adult population living in the Paris Metropolitan Area, were analysed. Different socioeconomic position indicators were selected: education, income and perceived financial status. Absolute measures (the slope index of inequality (SII)) and relative measures (the odds ratio (OR) and relative index of inequality (RII)) of health inequalities were used. The OR, RII and SII were adjusted for age, household type and migration characteristics and all analyses were performed separately for men and women. The study included 3,006 adults. The results showed significant relative and absolute socioeconomic inequalities in general, mental health and depression for all socioeconomic position indicators considered (education, income, and perceived financial status). The absolute inequalities were greater for women than for men. Strongest inequalities were observed by perceived financial status for men and women. Education seemed to play a stronger role in inequalities for women, whereas, for men, income seemed to play a stronger role. Only few socioeconomic inequalities were found in daily tobacco use, while a reversed gradient was observed for hazardous alcohol use. We hope that these results will be regularly re-evaluated and compared across time in order to monitor socioeconomic inequalities in health.

Trends in health inequalities in 27 European countries.

Unfavorable health trends among the lowly educated have recently been reported from the United States. We analyzed health trends by education in European countries, paying particular attention to the possibility of recent trend interruptions, including interruptions related to the impact of the 2008 financial crisis. We collected and harmonized data on mortality from ca 1980 to ca 2014 for 17 countries covering 9.8 million deaths and data on self-reported morbidity from ca 2002 to ca 2014 for 27 countries covering 350,000 survey respondents. We used interrupted time-series analyses to study changes over time and country-fixed effects analyses to study the impact of crisis-related economic conditions on health outcomes. Recent trends were more favorable than in previous decades, particularly in Eastern Europe, where mortality started to decline among lowly educated men and where the decline in less-than-good self-assessed health accelerated, resulting in some narrowing of health inequalities. In Western Europe, mortality has continued to decline among the lowly and highly educated, and although the decline of less-than-good self-assessed health slowed in countries severely hit by the financial crisis, this affected lowly and highly educated equally. Crisis-related economic conditions were not associated with widening health inequalities. Our results show that the unfavorable trends observed in the United States are not found in Europe. There has also been no discernible short-term impact of the crisis on health inequalities at the population level. Both findings suggest that European countries have been successful in avoiding an aggravation of health inequalities.

Socioeconomic inequalities in suicide in Europe: the widening gap.

BACKGROUND: Suicide has been decreasing over the past decade. However, we do not know whether socioeconomic inequality in suicide has been decreasing as well.AimsWe assessed recent trends in socioeconomic inequalities in suicide in 15 European populations. METHOD: The DEMETRIQ study collected and harmonised register-based data on suicide mortality follow-up of population censuses, from 1991 and 2001, in European populations aged 35-79. Absolute and relative inequalities of suicide according to education were computed on more than 300 million person-years. RESULTS: In the 1990s, people in the lowest educational group had 1.82 times more suicides than those in the highest group. In the 2000s, this ratio increased to 2.12. Among men, absolute and relative inequalities were substantial in both periods and generally did not decrease over time, whereas among women inequalities were absent in the first period and emerged in the second. CONCLUSIONS: The World Health Organization (WHO) plan for 'Fair opportunity of mental wellbeing' is not likely to be met.Declaration of interestNone.