Age-period-cohort analysis of lung cancer mortality inequalities in Southern Spain: missed opportunities for implementing equitable tobacco control policies.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer mortality in European countries shows different epidemiological patterns according to sex and socioeconomic variables. Some countries show decreasing rates in both sexes, while others show a delayed profile, with increasing mortality in women, inconsistently influenced by socioeconomic status. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of age, period and birth cohort on lung cancer mortality inequalities in men and women in Andalusia, the southernmost region in Spain. METHODS: We used the Longitudinal Database of the Andalusian Population, which collects demographic and mortality data from the 2001 census cohort of more than 7.35 million Andalusians, followed up between 2002 and 2016. Mortality rates were calculated for men and women by educational level, and small-area deprivation. Poisson models were used to assess trends in socioeconomic inequalities in men and women. Finally, age-period-cohort (APC) models were used separately for each educational level and gender. RESULTS: There were 39,408 lung cancer deaths in men and 5,511 in women, yielding crude mortality rates of 78.1 and 11.4 × 105 person-years, respectively. In men higher mortality was found in less educated groups and inequalities increased during the study period: i.e. the rate ratio for primary studies compared to university studies increased from 1.30 (CI95:1.18-1.44) to 1.57 (CI95:1.43-1.73). For women, educational inequalities in favour of the less educated tended to decrease moderately. In APC analysis, a decreasing period effect in men and an increasing one in women were observed. Cohort effect differed significantly by educational level. In men, the lower the educational level, the earlier the peak effect was reached, with a 25-year difference between the least-educated and college-educated. Conversely, college-educated women reached the peak effect with a 12-year earlier cohort than the least-educated women. The decline of mortality followed the same pattern both in men and women, with the best-educated groups experiencing declining rates with earlier birth cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that APC analysis by education helps to uncover changes in trends occurring in different socioeconomic and gender groups, which, combined with data on smoking prevalence, provide important clues for action. Despite its limitations, this approach to the study of lung cancer inequalities allows for the assessment of gaps in historical and current tobacco policies and the identification of population groups that need to be prioritised for public health interventions.

Industrial pollution and mortality from digestive cancers at the small area level in a Spanish industrialized province.

The province of Cadiz, Spain, is a highly industrialized area with numerous registered industrial plants, which has led to major concern regarding the possible influence of these facilities on the high rate of cancer-related mortality observed. Our objective was to evaluate the association between digestive cancer mortality and proximity to industrial installations in the province of Cadiz over the period 1992-2014 and to analyse this risk according to different categories of carcinogenic substances. An ecological study at the census tract level was carried out. Mortality due to digestive cancer (involving the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, colon and rectum) was analysed. Using the spatial Besag, York and Mollié (BYM) approach, we assessed the relative risk of dying from these cancers for people living between 500 m and 5 km from industrial installations. The models were adjusted to account for socioeconomic deprivation. We detected a significant, excess risk of dying due to cancer in the following organs (expressed as relative risk with 95% confidence intervals): colon/rectum (1.13; 1.04-1.22 at 4 km), stomach (1.13; 1.00-1.29 at 2 km), liver (1.28; 1.02-1.61 at 1 km), pancreas (1.19; 1.03-1.39 at 2 km), oral and pharyngeal (1.40; 1.08-1.82 at 1 km), oesophagus (2.05; 1.18-3.56 at 500 m) and gallbladder (2.80; 1.14-6.89 at 500 m) for men; and from colorectal (1.21; 1.00-1.46 at 1 km), stomach (1.15; 1.01-1.31 at 4 km) and liver (1.58; 1.20- 2.07 at 1 km) cancers for women. The results support the hypothesis of an association between several digestive cancers and proximity to polluting industrial plants.

Geographical variations in cancer mortality and social inequalities in southern Spain (Andalusia). 2002-2013.

INTRODUCTION: Geographical variations in cancer mortality can be explained, in part, by their association with social inequalities. The objective of our study was to analyse the spatial pattern of mortality in relation to the most common causes of cancer in the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and its possible association with social inequalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A small area cross-sectional study in Andalusia, with census tracts as units of spatial analysis, for the period 2002-2013. Cases and person-years, sex and age group came from the Longitudinal Population Database of Andalusia. Standardized mortality rates and smoothed risk ratios were calculated using the Besag, York and Mollié model for lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, bladder and stomach cancer. In order to evaluate the association with social inequalities we included the deprivation index of the census tract as a covariate. RESULTS: The results show an East-West mortality pattern with higher risk in the west for lung and bladder cancer among men, and breast cancer among women. For all of Andalusia, the association between deprivation index of the census tract and mortality relative risks is positive and significant for lung, stomach and bladder cancers in men, while in women we observed a negative association for lung cancer and a positive for stomach cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge regarding the spatial distribution of cancer mortality and the socioeconomic inequalities related should contribute to the design of specific health and social policies-aimed at tackling cancer mortality and social inequalities in areas of high mortality and/or levels of deprivation.

Cancer Mortality and Deprivation in the Proximity of Polluting Industrial Facilities in an Industrial Region of Spain.

Residential proximity to industrial facilities that release pollutants is a source of exposure to a high number of toxics, many of them known or suspected carcinogens. The objective of the study was to analyze the association between lung, larynx, bladder, and kidney cancer mortality and deprivation in areas proximate to polluting industrial facilities in Cadiz, a highly industrialized province in Spain. An ecological study at census tract level was carried out to estimate the mortality rates associated with deprivation and proximity to polluting industrial facilities (1-5 km) using the Besag-York-Mollié model. The results show a negative social gradient for lung and larynx cancers in males and greater risk of lung cancer was observed in the least deprived areas in females. These associations were found regardless the distance to industrial facilities. Increasing excess risk (relative risk; 95% credibility interval) of lung cancer for males (1.09; 1.02-1.16 at 5 km vs 1.24; 1.08-1.41 at 1 km) and bladder cancer for males (1.11; 1.01-1.22 at 5 km vs 1.32; 1.08-1.60 at 1 km) and females (1.32; 1.04-1.69 at 4 km vs 1.91; 1.28-2.86 at 1 km) was found as proximity to polluting industrial facilities increased. For kidney cancer, high risks were observed near such facilities for both sexes. Knowing the possible influence of industrial pollution and social inequalities over cancer risk allows the definition of policies aimed at reducing the risk.

Withstanding austerity: Equity in health services utilisation in the first stage of the economic recession in Southern Spain.

Scant research is available on the impact of the current economic crisis and austerity policies on inequality in health services utilisation in Europe. This study aimed to describe the trends in horizontal inequity in the use of health services in Andalusia, Spain, during the early years of the Great Recession, and the contribution of demographic, economic and social factors. Consultation with a general practitioner (GP) and specialist, hospitalisation and emergency care were studied through the Andalusian Health Survey 2007 (pre-crisis) and 2011-2012 (crisis), using a composite income index as socioeconomic status (SES) indicator. Horizontal inequity indices (HII) were calculated to take differential healthcare needs into account, and a decomposition analysis of change in inequality between periods was performed. Results showed that before the crisis, the HII was positive (greater access for people with higher SES) for specialist visits but negative (greater access for people with lower SES) in the other three utilisation models. During the crisis no change was observed in inequalities in GP visits, but a pro-poor development was seen for the other types of utilisation, with hospital and emergency care showing significant inequality in favour of low income groups. Overall, the main contributors to pro-poor changes in utilisation were socio-economic variables and poor mental health, due to changes in their elasticities. Our findings show that inequalities in healthcare utilisation largely remained in favour of the less well-off, despite the cuts in welfare benefits and health services provision during the early years of the recession in Andalusia. Further research is needed to monitor the potential impact of such measures in subsequent years.

El efecto del estado civil sobre las desigualdades sociales y de género en la mortalidad por diabetes mellitus en Andalucía / The effect of marital status on social and gender inequalities in diabetes mortality in Andalusia

Objetivos: Evaluar el efecto modificador del estado civil sobre las desigualdades sociales y de género en la mortalidad por diabetes mellitus (DM) en Andalucía. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal a partir de la Cohorte Censal 2001 de Andalucía. Se estudiaron defunciones por DM entre 2002 y 2013 según nivel de estudios y estado civil. Se calcularon tasas de mortalidad ajustadas por edad (TA) y razones de tasas de mortalidad (RTM) mediante modelos de regresión de Poisson, controladas por otras variables sociodemográficas. Se evaluó el efecto modificador del estado civil incorporando a los modelos un término de interacción. Todos los análisis se realizaron separadamente para hombres y mujeres. Resultados: Sobre un total de 4.229.791 sujetos se registraron 18.158 muertes por DM (10.635 mujeres y 7.523 hombres). A medida que disminuye el nivel educativo aumenta el riesgo de muerte. El estado civil modifica la desigualdad social en la mortalidad por DM de forma diferente en cada sexo. Las mujeres viudas y separadas/divorciadas con menor nivel de estudios presentan las mayores RTM: 5,1 (IC95%: 3,6-7,3) y 5,6 (IC95%: 3,6-8,5), respectivamente, mientras que los hombres solteros tienen la RTM más elevada: 3,1 (IC95%: 2,7-3,6). Conclusiones: El nivel de estudios es un determinante fundamental de la mortalidad por DM en ambos sexos; su relevancia es mayor entre las mujeres, mientras que en los hombres también el estado civil es un factor clave. Para abordar las desigualdades en la mortalidad nuestros resultados sugieren que el énfasis actual en los factores individuales y el autocuidado debería extenderse hacia intervenciones sobre la familia, la comunidad y los contextos sociales más cercanos a los pacientes (AU)

Objective: To assess the modifying effect of marital status on social and gender inequalities in mortality from diabetes mellitus (DM) in Andalusia. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Andalusian Longitudinal Population Database. DM deaths between 2002 and 2013 were analyzed by educational level and marital status. Age-adjusted rates (AARs) and mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were calculated using Poisson regression models, controlling for several social and demographic variables. The modifying effect of marital status on the association between educational level and DM mortality was evaluated by introducing an interaction term into the models. All analyses were performed separately for men and women. Results: There were 18,158 DM deaths (10,635 women and 7,523 men) among the 4,229,791 people included in the study. The risk of death increased as the educational level decreased. Marital status modified social inequality in DM mortality in a different way in each sex. Widowed and separated/divorced women with the lowest educational level had the highest MRRs, 5,1 (95%CI: 3,6-7,3) and 5,6 (95% CI:3,6-8,5) respectively, while single men had the highest MRR, 3,1 (95%CI: 2,7-3,6). Conclusions: Educational level is a key determinant of DM mortality in both sexes, and is more relevant in women, while marital status also plays an outstanding role in men. Our results suggest that in order to address inequalities in DM mortality, the current focus on individual factors and self-care should be extended to interventions on the family, the community, and the social contexts closest to patients (AU)

The effect of marital status on social and gender inequalities in diabetes mortality in Andalusia. / El efecto del estado civil sobre las desigualdades sociales y de género en la mortalidad por diabetes mellitus en Andalucía.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the modifying effect of marital status on social and gender inequalities in mortality from diabetes mellitus (DM) in Andalusia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Andalusian Longitudinal Population Database. DM deaths between 2002 and 2013 were analyzed by educational level and marital status. Age-adjusted rates (AARs) and mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were calculated using Poisson regression models, controlling for several social and demographic variables. The modifying effect of marital status on the association between educational level and DM mortality was evaluated by introducing an interaction term into the models. All analyses were performed separately for men and women. RESULTS: There were 18,158 DM deaths (10,635 women and 7,523 men) among the 4,229,791 people included in the study. The risk of death increased as the educational level decreased. Marital status modified social inequality in DM mortality in a different way in each sex. Widowed and separated/divorced women with the lowest educational level had the highest MRRs, 5,1 (95%CI: 3,6-7,3) and 5,6 (95% CI:3,6-8,5) respectively, while single men had the highest MRR, 3,1 (95%CI: 2,7-3,6). CONCLUSIONS: Educational level is a key determinant of DM mortality in both sexes, and is more relevant in women, while marital status also plays an outstanding role in men. Our results suggest that in order to address inequalities in DM mortality, the current focus on individual factors and self-care should be extended to interventions on the family, the community, and the social contexts closest to patients.

[Family, socioeconomic status and health services: Clues to health care in diabetic patients with lower limb amputations in Andalusia. A qualitative study]. / Familia, economía y servicios sanitarios: claves de los cuidados en pacientes con diabetes y amputación de miembros inferiores. Estudio cualitativo en Andalucía.

AIM: To examine the experience of diabetic care in patients undergoing lower limb amputation. DESIGN: A qualitative study using the phenomenological approach. SETTING: Cadiz Health District. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 16 patients (11 men and 5 women) diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2 and with non-traumatic lower limb amputation. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were performed, followed by a content analysis according Graneheim and Lundman. RESULTS: Four categories were identified: 1. The family is the cornerstone for diabetic care. 2. The socio-economic and working conditions determine the quality of self-care. 3. The patient-health professional interaction facilitates patient care. 4. Limitations in the provision of health services. CONCLUSION: Family, economic and working conditions, along with health system-related factors are the most important elements in the care of patients with diabetes and amputations. Social, economic and working conditions determine diabetic complications. In order to enhance health care impact on the prevention of diabetes mellitus complications, health system policy makers must take these facts seriously into consideration and in a more personalised manner.

How are the employed and unemployed affected by the economic crisis in Spain? Educational inequalities, life conditions and mental health in a context of high unemployment.

BACKGROUND: Despite an increasing number of studies on the factors mediating the impact of the economic recession on mental health, research beyond the individual employment status is scarce. Our objectives were to investigate in which ways the mental health of employed and unemployed populations is differently affected by the current economic recession along the educational scale and to examine whether financial strain and social support explain these effects of the crisis. METHODS: A repeated cross-sectional study, using two waves of the Andalusian Health Survey in 2007 (pre-crisis) and 2011-2012 (crisis). A population aged between 19 and 64 years was selected. The dependent variable was the Mental Component Summary of the SF-12 questionnaire. We performed Poisson regression models stratified by working status, with period, educational level, financial strain and social support as independent variables. We examined interactions between period and educational level. Age, sex, main earner, cohabitation and partner's working status were considered as covariates. RESULTS: The study included 3210 individuals (1185 women) in 2007 and 3633 individuals (1486 women) in 2011-2012. In working individuals the prevalence of poor mental health increased for secondary and complete primary studies groups during crisis compared to the pre-crisis period, while it decreased significantly in the university study group (PR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58-0.99). However, in unemployed individuals prevalence ratios for poor mental health increased significantly only in the secondary studies group (PR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.06-2.83). Financial strain and social support yielded consistent associations with mental health in all subgroups. Only financial strain could partly explain the crisis effect on mental health among the unemployed. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the finding that current economic recession is associated with poorer mental health differentially according to labour market status and educational level. Those with secondary studies may be at risk in times of economic recession. In connection with this, emerging educational inequalities in mental health among the employed population were observed. Our research also suggests a partial mediating role of financial strain for the effects of crisis on poor mental health among the unemployed. Good social support appears to buffer poor mental health in all subgroups but not specifically during crisis period.

Evolución de las desigualdades sociales en la mortalidad general de la ciudad de Cádiz (1992-2007) / Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in general mortality in the city of Cadiz, Spain (1992-2007)

Objetivo: Analizar la evolución de la desigualdad socioeconómica en la mortalidad general en la ciudad de Cádiz durante el periodo 1992-2007. Método: Estudio ecológico de tendencias con tres cortes transversales, con la sección censal como unidad de análisis. Defunciones agrupadas en tres periodos (1992-1996, 1997-2001 y 2002-2007), clasificadas según un índice de privación de la sección censal. Se calcularon tasas ajustadas por el método directo y tres medidas de desigualdad social. Resultados: Del total de 18.586 defunciones, se geocodificó la sección censal del 96,7%. El riesgo atribuible poblacional pasó, respectivamente en hombres y mujeres, del 15,4% y el 12,2% en 1992-1996 al 9,3% y el 5,6% en 2002-2007. El índice relativo de desigualdad y el índice de la pendiente de desigualdad descendieron sólo entre las mujeres. Conclusión: A pesar de observar una tendencia decreciente, las desigualdades sociales son un elemento sustantivo en la distribución de la mortalidad general en la ciudad de Cádiz (AU)

Objective: To analyze trends in socioeconomic inequality in mortality in the city of Cadiz (Spain) from 1992 to 2007. Methods: An ecological study was performed of trends over 3 cross-sections, with the census tract as the unit of analysis. Deaths were grouped into three periods: 1992-1996, 1997-2001 and 2002-2007 and were then classified according to a deprivation index of the census tract. We calculated adjusted rates by the direct method and three measures of health inequality. Results: Of 18,586 deaths, 96.7% was geocoded to a census tract. The population-attributable risk decreased in men and women, respectively, from 15.4% and 12.2% in 1992-1996 to 9.3% and 5.6% in 2002-2007. The other measures, slope index and the relative index also showed a decline in inequality but only among women. Conclusions: Despite a decreasing trend, social inequalities are a substantial component in the distribution of overall mortality in the city of Cadiz (AU)

Economic crisis and suicidal behaviour: the role of unemployment, sex and age in Andalusia, southern Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Although suicide rates have increased in some European countries in relation to the current economic crisis and austerity policies, that trend has not been observed in Spain. This study examines the impact of the economic crisis on suicide attempts, the previously neglected endpoint of the suicidal process, and its relation to unemployment, age and sex. METHODS: The study was carried out in Andalusia, the most populated region of Spain, and which has a high level of unemployment. Information on suicide attempts attended by emergency services was extracted from the Health Emergencies Public Enterprise Information System (SIEPES). Suicide attempts occurring between 2003 and 2012 were included, in order to cover five years prior to the crisis (2003-2007) and five years after its onset (2008-2012). Information was retrieved from 24,380 cases (11,494 men and 12,886 women) on sex, age, address, and type of attention provided. Age-adjusted suicide attempt rates were calculated. Excess numbers of attempts from 2008 to 2012 were estimated for each sex using historical trends of the five previous years, through time regression models using negative binomial regression analysis. To assess the association between unemployment and suicide attempts rates, linear regression models with fixed effects were performed. RESULTS: A sharp increase in suicide attempt rates in Andalusia was detected after the onset of the crisis, both in men and in women. Adults aged 35 to 54 years were the most affected in both sexes. Suicide attempt rates were associated with unemployment rates in men, accounting for almost half of the cases during the five initial years of the crisis. Women were also affected during the recession period but this association could not be specifically attributed to unemployment. CONCLUSIONS: This study enhances our understanding of the potential effects of the economic crisis on the rapidly increasing suicide attempt rates in women and men, and the association of unemployment with growing suicidal behaviour in men. Research on the suicide effects of the economic crisis may need to take into account earlier stages of the suicidal process, and that this effect may differ by age and sex.

The impact of economic crises on social inequalities in health: what do we know so far?

Since 2008, Western countries are going through a deep economic crisis whose health impacts seem to be fundamentally counter-cyclical: when economic conditions worsen, so does health, and mortality tends to rise. While a growing number of studies have presented evidence on the effect of crises on the average population health, a largely neglected aspect of research is the impact of crises and the related political responses on social inequalities in health, even if the negative consequences of the crises are primarily borne by the most disadvantaged populations. This commentary will reflect on the results of the studies that have analyzed the effect of economic crises on social inequalities in health up to 2013. With some exceptions, the studies show an increase in health inequalities during crises, especially during the Southeast Asian and Japanese crises and the Soviet Union crisis, although it is not always evident for both sexes or all health or socioeconomic variables. In the Nordic countries during the nineties, a clear worsening of health equity did not occur. Results about the impacts of the current economic recession on health equity are still inconsistent. Some of the factors that could explain this variability in results are the role of welfare state policies, the diversity of time periods used in the analyses, the heterogeneity of socioeconomic and health variables considered, the changes in the socioeconomic profile of the groups under comparison in times of crises, and the type of measures used to analyze the magnitude of social inequalities in health. Social epidemiology should further collaborate with other disciplines to help produce more accurate and useful evidence about the relationship between crises and health equity.

Crisis económica al inicio del siglo XXI y mortalidad en España. Tendencia e impacto sobre las desigualdades sociales. Informe SESPAS 2014 / The economic crisis at the beginning of the XXI century and mortality in Spain. Trend and impact on social inequalities. SESPAS Report 2014

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el impacto de la actual crisis económica en la evolución de la mortalidad en España y sus efectos sobre las desigualdades sociales en la mortalidad en Andalucía. Se han utilizado las defunciones procedentes de las estadísticas vitales del Instituto Nacional de Estadística para los años 1999 a 2011, así como la población correspondiente del padrón municipal de habitantes. Se calcularon tasas ajustadas de mortalidad general y específica por sexo y edad. Para estimar las tasas de mortalidad general y las razones de tasas según el nivel de estudios, entre 2002 y 2010 se utilizó la Base de Datos Longitudinal de Población de Andalucía (cohorte censal del 2001). Los porcentajes de cambio anuales y las tendencias se calcularon mediante regresión joinpoint. En España no se observa ningún cambio de tendencia significativo en la mortalidad a partir de 2008. Desde 1999 se mantiene una tendencia descendente, en ambos sexos y por todas las causas, excepto en las enfermedades del sistema nervioso. La mortalidad por accidentes de tráfico acelera su decrecimiento desde 2003. Los suicidios no modifican su tendencia negativa a lo largo del periodo. En Andalucía, las desigualdades sociales en la mortalidad general aumentaron en los hombres desde el inicio de la crisis, en el año 2008, fundamentalmente por un mayor descenso en la mortalidad en los de mayor nivel de estudios que en el resto, en un contexto de descenso de la mortalidad. En las mujeres no se observan cambios en el patrón de desigualdad (AU)

This study aimed to assess the impact of the current economic crisis on mortality trends in Spain and its effect on social inequalities in mortality in Andalusia. We used data from vital statistics and the Population Register for 1999 to 2011, as provided by the Spanish Institute of Statistics, to estimate general and sex- and age-specific mortality rates. The Longitudinal Database of the Andalusian Population (2001 census cohort) was used to estimate general mortality rates and ratios by educational level. The annual percentages of change and trends were calculated using Joinpoint regressions. No significant change in the mortality trend was observed in Spain from 2008 onward. A downward trend after 1999 was confirmed for all causes and both sexes, with the exception of nervous system-related diseases. The reduction in mortality due to traffic accidents accelerated after 2003, while the negative trend in suicide was unchanged throughout the period studied. In Andalusia, social inequalities in mortality have increased among men since the beginning of the crisis, mainly due to a more intense reduction in mortality among persons with a higher educational level. Among women, no changes were observed in the pattern of inequality (AU)

[The economic crisis at the beginning of the XXI century and mortality in Spain. Trend and impact on social inequalities. SESPAS Report 2014]. / Crisis económica al inicio del siglo xxi y mortalidad en España. Tendencia e impacto sobre las desigualdades sociales. Informe SESPAS 2014.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the current economic crisis on mortality trends in Spain and its effect on social inequalities in mortality in Andalusia. We used data from vital statistics and the Population Register for 1999 to 2011, as provided by the Spanish Institute of Statistics, to estimate general and sex- and age-specific mortality rates. The Longitudinal Database of the Andalusian Population (2001 census cohort) was used to estimate general mortality rates and ratios by educational level. The annual percentages of change and trends were calculated using Joinpoint regressions. No significant change in the mortality trend was observed in Spain from 2008 onward. A downward trend after 1999 was confirmed for all causes and both sexes, with the exception of nervous system-related diseases. The reduction in mortality due to traffic accidents accelerated after 2003, while the negative trend in suicide was unchanged throughout the period studied. In Andalusia, social inequalities in mortality have increased among men since the beginning of the crisis, mainly due to a more intense reduction in mortality among persons with a higher educational level. Among women, no changes were observed in the pattern of inequality.

[Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in general mortality in the city of Cadiz, Spain (1992-2007)]. / Evolución de las desigualdades sociales en la mortalidad general de la ciudad de Cádiz (1992-2007).

OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends in socioeconomic inequality in mortality in the city of Cadiz (Spain) from 1992 to 2007. METHODS: An ecological study was performed of trends over 3 cross-sections, with the census tract as the unit of analysis. Deaths were grouped into three periods: 1992-1996, 1997-2001 and 2002-2007 and were then classified according to a deprivation index of the census tract. We calculated adjusted rates by the direct method and three measures of health inequality. RESULTS: Of 18,586 deaths, 96.7% was geocoded to a census tract. The population-attributable risk decreased in men and women, respectively, from 15.4% and 12.2% in 1992-1996 to 9.3% and 5.6% in 2002-2007. The other measures, slope index and the relative index also showed a decline in inequality but only among women. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a decreasing trend, social inequalities are a substantial component in the distribution of overall mortality in the city of Cadiz.

Desigualdades de género y diabetes mellitus tipo 2: la importancia de la diferencia / Gender inequalities and type 2 diabetes: the importance of the difference

Fundamentos: La diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) afecta de manera diferente a hombres y mujeres, y habría que distinguir si estas diferencias son debidas a la expresión de riesgos dispares ligados al sexo y/o relacionados con desigualdades de género. El objetivo del presente trabajo es sintetizar los estudios que presentan desigualdades de sexo respecto a la prevalencia, incidencia, complicaciones y mortalidad en la DM2. Material y métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en la base de datos de PubMed de la Librería Nacional de Medicina de Estados Unidos y en Elsevier. Se acotó la búsqueda a los artículos sobre DM2 que estaban publicados entre enero de 1999 y diciembre de 2009, en inglés o español. Se incluyeron los artículos que presentaban entre sus objetivos analizar tres temáticas principales: «prevalencia e incidencia», «control y complicaciones» y «mortalidad». Resultados: De los 22 artículos encontrados, 6 demostraban diferencias significativas en cuanto a prevalencia, 8 en cuanto al control y las complicaciones, y 8 respecto a la mortalidad. En la mayoría de los artículos no se distinguían los efectos atribuibles a factores biológicos ligados al sexo de los atribuibles a factores relacionados con el género. Conclusiones: A pesar de que hay diferentes resultados en salud entre hombres y mujeres con DM2, las desigualdades de género no están suficientemente explicadas en los artículos en los que hay diferencias significativas por sexo. Para profundizar en las causas de estas diferencias, sería necesario incluir en los estudios indicadores que incorporaran la perspectiva de género(AU)

Background: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects men and women differently, and it needs to be determined whether these differences are due to expression of disparate sex-linked risks and/or related to gender inequalities. The aim of this paper is to summarise the studies presenting gender inequalities regarding the prevalence, incidence, complications and mortality in T2DM. Material and methods: We conducted a systematic review in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database and Elsevier database. The search was refined to those diabetes articles that were published between January 1999 and December 2009 in English or Spanish. We included those articles that had among their objectives to discuss three main themes: «prevalence and incidence», «control and complications» and «mortality». Results: Of the 22 articles, 6 found significant differences in prevalence, 8 in the control and the complications, and 8 with respect to mortality. Most of the articles did not differentiate between the effects attributable to biological factors linked to the sex and those attributable to gender-related factors. Conclusions: Although there are different health outcomes between men and women with T2DM, gender inequalities are not sufficiently explained in the articles in which there are significant sex differences. To understand the causes of these differences, indicators that incorporate gender perspectives should be included in studies(AU)