Point process methods in epidemiology: application to the analysis of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome mortality in urban areas

The analysis of spatio-temporal patterns of disease or death in urban areas has been developed mainly from the ecological studies approach. These designs may have some limitations like the ecological fallacy and instability with few cases. The objective of this study was to apply the point process methodology, as a complement to that of aggregated data, to study HIV/AIDS mortality in men in the city of Alicante (Spain). A case-control study in residents in the city during the period 2004-2011 was designed. Cases were men who died from HIV/AIDS and controls represented the general population, matched by age to cases. The risk surfaces of death over the city were estimated using the log-risk function of intensities, and we contrasted their temporal variations over the two periods. High risk significant areas of death by HIV/AIDS, which coincide with the most deprived areas in the city, were detected. Significant spatial change of the areas at risk between the periods studied was not detected. The point process methodology is a useful tool to analyse the patterns of death by HIV/AIDS in urban areas

Escenaris i reptes pròxims

El patró de mortalitat de la població està determinat per les causes de mort de les persones majors: les malalties degeneratives n'han substituit d’altres històricament més importants. Hi ha una homogeneïtzació del procés de la mort, que es produeix més tard i es concentra en edats avançades i per causes semblants. És previsible que en els pròxims anys s'incrementen patologies, com ara les psicosis orgàniques senils i presenils, que ja vénen augmentant en les últimes décades

Anàlisi espacial de la mortalitat a la Comunitat Valenciana

L’anàlisi espacial pot contemplar-se, en el context epidemiològic, com una ferramenta per a l’estudi de la distribució geogràfica d’un determinat problema de salut. Els estudis geogràfics sobre resultats en salut de la població són importants perquè poden contribuir a detectar diferències entre distintes regions, a establir patrons de distribució al llarg de la geografia d’un determinat territori o a localitzar unitats geogràfiques en situació de risc extrem o altres resultats d’interés

Place of death of people with conditions needing palliative care in the different autonomous communities (regions) of Spain

Fundamento. Conocer el lugar de fallecimiento por causas susceptibles de cuidados paliativos de personas residentes en España de 15 o más años de edad según la comunidad autónoma (CA), y cómo influyen las causas (oncológicas y no oncológicas). Método. Estudio transversal de base poblacional con análisis de los certificados médicos de defunción entre 2012 y 2015. Los efectos ajustados de las variables sociodemográficas, la CA y las causas sobre el lugar de fallecimiento se estimaron mediante las odds de fallecimiento en hospital frente a domicilio (OH/D) y en residencia frente a domicilio (OR/D), y las odds ratio (ORH/D y ORR/D) obtenidas por regresión logística multinomial. Resultados. Se produjeron 1.611.767 muertes de las que 64,8% correspondieron a la población diana. La defunción en hospital fue un 77% más frecuente que en domicilio, y en residencia un 53% menor. Sexo masculino, menor edad, bajo nivel de estudios, lugar de nacimiento fuera de España, tamaño de municipio grande y estado civil no casado se asociaron a fallecimiento en hospital, y las mismas excepto sexo femenino y mayor edad a residencia. Las OH/D ajustadas fueron > 1 en todas las CA y las OR/D 1 and ON/H < 1 were observed in all AC, except Catalonia. Oncological causes made OH/H < 1 in almost 50% of AC, while ON/H continue to be < 1. Conclusions. Most deaths were in hospital and fewer at nursing homes, despite oncological causes increasing deaths at home (adjusted effect)

Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in amenable mortality in urban areas of Spanish cities, 1996-2007

Background: While research continues into indicators such as preventable and amenable mortality in order to evaluate quality, access, and equity in the healthcare, it is also necessary to continue identifying the areas of greatest risk owing to these causes of death in urban areas of large cities, where a large part of the population is concentrated, in order to carry out specific actions and reduce inequalities in mortality. This study describes inequalities in amenable mortality in relation to socioeconomic status in small urban areas, and analyses their evolution over the course of the periods 1996–99, 2000–2003 and 2004–2007 in three major cities in the Spanish Mediterranean coast (Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia). Methods: All deaths attributed to amenable causes were analysed among non-institutionalised residents in the three cities studied over the course of the study periods. Census tracts for the cities were grouped into 3 socioeconomic status levels, from higher to lower levels of deprivation, using 5 indicators obtained from the 2001 Spanish Population Census. For each city, the relative risks of death were estimated between socioeconomic status levels using Poisson’s Regression models, adjusted for age and study period, and distinguishing between genders. Results: Amenable mortality contributes significantly to general mortality (around 10%, higher among men), having decreased over time in the three cities studied for men and women. In the three cities studied, with a high degree of consistency, it has been seen that the risks of mortality are greater in areas of higher deprivation, and that these excesses have not significantly modified over time. Conclusions: Although amenable mortality decreases over the time period studied, the socioeconomic inequalities observed are maintained in the three cities. Areas have been identified that display excesses in amenable mortality, potentially attributable to differences in the healthcare system, associated with areas of greater deprivation. Action must be taken in these areas of greater inequality in order to reduce the health inequalities detected. The causes behind socioeconomic inequalities in amenable mortality must be studied in depth.This work was partly supported by the FIS-FEDER projects PI040170 and PI080330

Self-rated health and hospital services use in the Spanish National Health System: a longitudinal study

Background: Self-rated health is a subjective measure that has been related to indicators such as mortality, morbidity, functional capacity, and the use of health services. In Spain, there are few longitudinal studies associating self-rated health with hospital services use. The purpose of this study is to analyze the association between self-rated health and socioeconomic, demographic, and health variables, and the use of hospital services among the general population in the Region of Valencia, Spain. Methods: Longitudinal study of 5,275 adults who were included in the 2005 Region of Valencia Health Survey and linked to the Minimum Hospital Data Set between 2006 and 2009. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios between use of hospital services and self-rated health, sex, age, educational level, employment status, income, country of birth, chronic conditions, disability and previous use of hospital services. Results: By the end of a 4-year follow-up period, 1,184 participants (22.4 %) had used hospital services. Use of hospital services was associated with poor self-rated health among both men and women. In men, it was also associated with unemployment, low income, and the presence of a chronic disease. In women, it was associated with low educational level, the presence of a disability, previous hospital services use, and the presence of chronic disease. Interactions were detected between self-rated health and chronic disease in men and between self-rated health and educational level in women. Conclusions: Self-rated health acts as a predictor of hospital services use. Various health and socioeconomic variables provide additional predictive capacity. Interactions were detected between self-rated health and other variables that may reflect different complex predictive models, by gender

Evolución de la mortalidad evitable prevenible en la Comunitat Valenciana. Periodos 1990-1994 y 2011-2015

La mortalidad evitable prevenible es un buen indicador para medir los resultados de las políticas de salud en ámbitos geográficos a lo largo del tiempo e identificar zonas geográficas necesitadas de intervención

Economic Crisis and Amenable Mortality in Spain

Background: Both overall mortality and avoidable mortality have decreased in recent years in most European countries. It has become clear that less privileged socioeconomic groups have an increased risk of death. In 2008, most countries went into a severe economic recession, whose effects on the health of the population are still ongoing. While on the one hand, some evidence associates the economic crisis with positive health outcomes (pro-cyclical effect), on the other hand, some other evidence suggests that the economic crisis may pose serious public health problems (counter-cyclical effect), which has given rise to controversy. Objectives: To describe the evolution of overall mortality and amenable mortality in Spain between 2002–2007 (before the economic crisis) and 2008–2013 (during the economic crisis), nationally and by province, as well as to analyse trends in the risks of death and their association with indicators of the impact of the crisis. Methods: Ecological study of overall mortality and amenable mortality describing the evolution of the risks of death between 2002–2007 and 2008–2013. Age Standardised Rates were calculated, as well as their percentage change between periods. The association between percentage changes and provincial indicators of the impact of the crisis was analysed. Amenable mortality was studied both overall and categorised into five groups. Results: Amenable mortality represented 8.25% of overall mortality in 2002–2007, and 6.93% in 2008–2013. Age Standardised Rates for overall mortality and global amenable mortality generally declined, with the sharpest decline in amenable mortality. Decreases in overall mortality and amenable mortality were directly related to vulnerability indicators. The most significant decreases were registered in ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and other amenable causes. The relationship with vulnerability indices varied from direct (cancer) to inverse (hypertensive disease). Conclusions: Amenable mortality shows a more significant decrease than overall mortality between both study periods, albeit unevenly between provinces causes of death. Higher vulnerability indicators entail greater declines, although this trend varied for different causes. Mortality trends and their relationship with socioeconomic indicators in a situation of crisis must be conducted cautiously, taking into consideration a possible pro-cyclical effect.Supported by University of Alicante I + D Projects (GRE 16-14)

Treinta años de evolución de la mortalidad en la Comunitat Valenciana

Una sociedad más envejecida, el tabaquismo y las actuaciones y los programas preventivos, especialmente de prevención secundaria y la inclusión de nuevos tratamientos, son los factores más destacables que pueden haber influido en la evolución de la mortalidad en la Comunitat Valenciana en los treinta años transcurridos entre 1986 y 2015

Calidad y uso de los datos del Registro de Mortalidad de la Comunitat Valenciana

La creación del Registro de Mortalidad de la Comunitat Valenciana contribuyó a mejorar la fiabilidad y calidad de las estadísticas de mortalidad de la Comunitat Valenciana. A lo largo de los 30 años de existencia del Registro, este ha colaborado con el aporte de sus datos en 44 proyectos de investigación sobre el estudio de la salud de los valencianos