Mortality and socioeconomic indicators in Spain 1962-1991

Background: The study objectives were to describe the evolution of mortality and some socioeconomic indicators in the Spanish provinces (n=50) in order to quantify their association and assess the capability of these socioeconomic factors in explaining mortality levels in the Spanish provinces over the period 1962–1991. Methods: An ecological cross-sectional study was performed in order to assess the relationships between some socioeconomic indicators and mortality in Spain. Data on both-sexes, all-causes, age-adjusted mortality and infant mortality, gross national product per head, economically active population and unemployment rates, population density, state hospital functioning beds and state primary school units were obtained at a provincial aggregation level. A convergence σ coefficient was calculated for all these indicators and simple and multiple linear regression models for mortality were fitted. Results and conclusions: The results suggested that, over the study period, mortality rates fell and socioeconomic indicators converged between provinces, but differences in mortality between provinces did not decrease. Socioeconomic factors such as unemployment or economic level - as measured through gross national product - were consistently associated with mortality over all the study period.