Ethnicity and excess mortality

ABSTRACT

The study examines and assesses the excess mortality from cerebrovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertensive disease, injury and poisonings in City and Hackney descendents by country of birth used as proxy of ethnicity. The five year specific death rates for descendents aged 35 to 84 yars for England and Wales during the period 1986-90 was used as the standard to celebrate standardised proportional mortality ratios for these diseases. Mortality odds ratios were computed using the United Kingdom born descendents as the comparison group and all causes of death except genitourinary neoplasms, cirrhosis of the liver and the causes of interest as the auxillary (controls) cause of death. African Caribbean groups contribute 95 percent of the excess mortality from hypertensive disease. Caribbean and Indian groups account for over half the excess deaths from diabetes. All three groups contribute the excess deaths from cerebrovascular disease. Indian females appear to have twice the mortality risk of the England and Wales women, but this excess is hidden by the deficits of the Caribbean, British and younger Indian male groups who show deficit deaths from this cause. Mortality differentials are demonstrable by ethnic group at district level and may be greater than other available sources indicate. Standardised mortality odds ratios may be valuable tool for examining data sets lacking denominator data.(AU)