Blakely, Tony

Hill, Sarah

Sarfati, Diana

Shaw, Caroline

Aim Tobacco use and resultant health effects have been described as an epidemic thatprogresses through the population. This paper aims to describe and explain trends inlung cancer mortality by ethnicity and socioeconomic position in New Zealandbetween 1981–1999.Methods Cohort studies of the entire New Zealand population for 1981–84, 1986–89,1991–94, and 1996–99 (linking census and mortality datasets) allowed directdetermination of trends in lung mortality by income and education. For ethnicity, weused unlinked census and mortality data—but with correction factors applied forundercounting of Maori and Pacific deaths.Results Lung cancer mortality decreased in males and increased in females over thetime period studied. In males, socioeconomic inequality persisted despite a decline inmortality in all socioeconomic groups. In females, a disproportionate increase in themortality of lower socioeconomic groups compared to higher socioeconomic groupsresulted in an increase in inequality. Divergent trends by ethnic group resulted in anincrease in ethnic inequalities between 1981 and 1996 in both males and females.Conclusions There are significant and growing ethnic and socioeconomic inequalitiesin lung cancer mortality in New Zealand. In the current absence of concerted publichealth action these inequalities will probably widen in future decades

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Varying evolution of the New Zealand lung cancer epidemic by ethnicity and socioeconomic position (1981–1999)

https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/files/16253262/Shaw_NZMJ_2005.pdf

Varying evolution of the New Zealand lung cancer epidemic by ethnicity and socioeconomic position (1981–1999)

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