Where you live and your risk of dying prematurely ‘clearly linked’, study finds
There is a "clear association" between where you live and your risk of dying prematurely, a new study has found.
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The main factors that affect the difference across local areas include deprivation and ethnicity, but education, occupation and whether someone was born in the UK are also likely to contribute to the sharp contrasts around the country.
The research is the first of its kind to explore the impact of such characteristics on premature mortality at a local level.
Premature mortality is defined as someone who dies from any cause before they reach the age of 75.
It found that levels of premature death in Blackpool, the local authority with the highest rate at 696 per 100,000 people, were nearly 2.5 times above those in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames, which had the lowest rate of 285 per 100,000.
While these figures took into account differences in age and sex among the local population, they did not reflect ethnicity, nationality of birth and socio-economic factors such as deprivation and education.
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But after further adjustment for ethnicity and being born outside the UK, Blackpool's mortality rate was found to be 2.3 times higher than Richmond upon Thames - and with additional adjustment for socio-economic status, it fell to 1.1 times higher.
By contrasting the mortality rates before and after these factors were taken into account, it was possible to see the influence that these characteristics have on levels of premature death.
The research was carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on behalf of independent charity The Health Foundation, which said the findings can be used "to support co-ordinated action to address health inequalities". It focused on adults in England and Wales in the period March 2021 to December 2023.
Socio-economic status has "the greatest impact on variation in premature mortality rates, suggesting that it accounts for a considerable proportion of these geographical inequalities", the ONS said.
This trend was evident not only when considering levels of premature mortality from all causes but also for premature deaths due to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions.
Daniel Ayoubkhani, head of the ONS health research group, said: "This analysis shows a clear association between where you live and your risk of dying prematurely.
"When accounting for differences in age and sex, we see that there are substantial differences in premature mortality rates across local authorities in England and Wales.
"For the first time, we have explored the role of socioeconomic characteristics, ethnicity, and whether someone was born in the UK in geographic variations in premature mortality, revealing that these factors explain much, but not all, of the differences in premature mortality rates between local authorities."
Charles Tallack, Health Foundation director of research and analysis, said: "The opportunity of living a long and healthy life is dependent on the socio-economic conditions people live in.
"This analysis can be used to support co-ordinated, cross-sector action to address health inequalities."