Intended for healthcare professionals

Research Article

Deprivation: explaining differences in mortality between Scotland and England and Wales.

British Medical Journal 1989; 299 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.299.6704.886 (Published 07 October 1989) Cite this as: British Medical Journal 1989;299:886
  1. V. Carstairs,
  2. R. Morris
  1. Department of Community Medicine, Medical School, Edinburgh.

    Abstract

    To detect reasons for the difference in mortality between Scotland and England and Wales a measure of deprivation was studied, comprising overcrowding, unemployment of men, low social class, and not having a car. Data for Scotland for 1980-2 showed this measure to be strongly associated with mortality, with gradients being particularly steep in young adults. Deprivation was much severe in Scotland than in England and Wales. These findings suggest that much excess mortality may be ascribed to more adverse conditions. Standardising the mortality ratios to take account of the relative affluence and deprivation of the two populations led to the differentials observed being radically adjusted, while standardising for social class had little effect. Deprivation measures based on areas overcome many of the limitations associated with social class analysis and also show much greater discrimination between populations. Measures of deprivation apparently provide a powerful basis for explanation of health differences. Such measures should therefore form part of the 1991 census output to facilitate their use on a consistent basis.