Potential Reduction in Mortality Associated with the Shifts of Population Educational Structures in the Czech Republic

Educational inequalities in mortality are large in Central and Eastern Europe. Mortality levels are particularly high among low educated men as well as women in the Czech Republic. However, differences in male mortality by educational attainment exceed those of females. Two mortality patterns are apparent when dividing the Czech classification of education into four categories—basic, vocational, secondary, and university. Males with basic education experience much higher mortality when compared to their higher educated counterparts. An anomaly in the mortality gradient is observed among women when comparing basic and vocational education. Women with basic education show a rather lower mortality level compared to their vocational counterparts. Three scenarios show how the shifts toward a higher education could contribute to the change in mortality level using temporary life expectancies between ages 30 and 80 for males and females: (a) population structure by sex, age, and education remains the same as from the census 2011; (b) 60% of males having the basic education move into the next higher category (vocational) and 60% of women with basic and vocational education move into the secondary education; and (3) sex age education‐specific mortality rates will be shifted upwards by one level

Changing social inequalities in smoking, obesity and cause-specific mortality: Cross-national comparisons using compass typology

Background In many countries smoking rates have declined and obesity rates have increased, and social inequalities in each have varied over time. At the same time, mortality has declined in most high-income countries, but gaps by educational qualification persist—at least partially due to differential smoking and obesity distributions. This study uses a compass typology to simultaneously examine the magnitude and trends in educational inequalities across multiple countries in: a) smoking and obesity; b) smoking-related mortality and c) cause-specific mortality. Methods Smoking prevalence, obesity prevalence and cause-specific mortality rates (35–79 year olds by sex) in nine European countries and New Zealand were sourced from between 1980 and 2010. We calculated relative and absolute inequalities in prevalence and mortality (relative and slope indices of inequality, respectively RII, SII) by highest educational qualification. Countries were then plotted on a compass typology which simultaneously examines trends in the population average rates or odds on the x-axis, RII on the Y-axis, and contour lines depicting SII. Findings Smoking and obesity. Smoking prevalence in men decreased over time but relative inequalities increased. For women there were fewer declines in smoking prevalence and relative inequalities tended to increase. Obesity prevalence in men and women increased over time with a mixed picture of increasing absolute and sometimes relative inequalities. Absolute inequalities in obesity increased for men and women in Czech Republic, France, New Zealand, Norway, for women in Austria and Lithuania, and for men in Finland. Cause-specific mortality. Average rates of smoking-related mortality were generally stable or increasing for women, accompanied by increasing relative inequalities. For men, average rates were stable or decreasing, but relative inequalities increased over time. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and external injury rates generally decreased over time, and relative inequalities increased. In Eastern European countries mortality started declining later compared to other countries, however it remained at higher levels; and absolute inequalities in mortality increased whereas they were more stable elsewhere. Conclusions Tobacco control remains vital for addressing social inequalities in health by education, and focus on the least educated is required to address increasing relative inequalities. Increasing obesity in all countries and increasing absolute obesity inequalities in several countries is concerning for future potential health impacts. Obesity prevention may be increasingly important for addressing health inequalities in some settings. The compass typology was useful to compare trends in inequalities because it simultaneously tracks changes in rates/odds, and absolute and relative inequality measures.Peer reviewe

Socioeconomic differences in the use of ill-defined causes of death in 16 European countries

Background: Cause-of-death data linked to information on socioeconomic position form one of the most important sources of information about health inequalities in many countries. The proportion of deaths from ill-defined conditions is one of the indicators of the quality of cause-of-death data. We investigated educational differences in the use of ill-defined causes of death in official mortality statistics. Methods: Using age-standardized mortality rates from 16 European countries, we calculated the proportion of all deaths in each educational group that were classified as due to "Symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions". We tested if this proportion differed across educational groups using Chi-square tests. Results: The proportion of ill-defined causes of death was lower than 6.5% among men and 4.5% among women in all European countries, without any clear geographical pattern. This proportion statistically significantly differed by educational groups in several countries with in most cases a higher proportion among less than secondary educated people compared with tertiary educated people. Conclusions: We found evidence for educational differences in the distribution of ill-defined causes of death. However, the differences between educational groups were small suggesting that socioeconomic inequalities in cause-specific mortality in Europe are not likely to be biased.Peer reviewe

Změny generační plodnosti v České republice se zaměřením na vzdělání žen

779

MUDr. Augustin Syrovátka, CSc. - pediatr a demograf

626

Perception of population ageing and age discrimination across EU countries

Population ageing is the most dominant demographic challenge that the European Union is experiencing in the 21st century. This may create negative attitudes and lead to discrimination against persons of advanced age. Age-related stereotypes and prejudice can result in age discrimination, termed ageism. This research concerns the question of perceived ageism towards older people in 25 EU countries, surveyed in 2015 using the Special Eurobarometer 437. The analytical section includes descriptive findings and the results of three multi-level regression models addressing three domains (explained variables) of perceived ageism: 1) discrimination in general, 2) discrimination during economic crisis, and 3) discrimination when electing an older person as a high official. The two-level regression allowed simultaneous modelling of individual-level (gender, age, partnership status, social class, and life satisfaction) and of country-level (life expectancy at 55, perceived start of old age, and HDI) effects. The personal characteristics impacted much stronger perceived ageism than country contexts. Ageist perception in general has mostly been noted at pre-retirement age, but the age profile has not been the same across three regression models. The East-West gradient, frequently reported, is questioned because the geographical picture of perceived ageism is rather puzzling

Mezinárodní konference o populaci a rozvoji. Káhira 5. - 13. září 1994

868

Demographic trends and patterns in Czechia and Slovakia during the socialistic era

During the socialist era, marriage was contracted early and became more frequent. Children were born to younger parents and at short intervals. The proportion of childless women was low, as was the percentage of extramarital births. A higher risk of death for adults and the elderly was observed particularly among men in the period 1965-1975. Slovak demographic patterns became more similar to Czech patterns.18420