High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Monday, November 24, 2008
Health Inequalities
Inequalities in health outcomes are apparent between areas with different levels of deprivation. Premature mortality from cancer and coronary heart disease both show a gap between the experience of those living in the most deprived areas ( SIMD 15%) and the population overall - and this gap does not appear to be narrowing over time.
Between 2000 and 2007, rates of death from coronary heart disease amongst the under 75s fell by 33% in Scotland overall, but by only 26% in the most deprived areas. During the same period, rates of deaths from cancer amongst the under 75s fell by 9% in Scotland overall, but rose by 1% in the most deprived areas.
In 2000, 24.6% of under 75 coronary heart disease deaths and 20.4% of under 75 cancer deaths were in the 15% most deprived areas. By 2007, the proportion of premature deaths from coronary heart disease that were in the 15% most deprived areas had fallen slightly to 23.9%, and premature deaths from cancer in these areas accounted for 19.7% of the total.
The Scottish Government has established a National Indicator to continue to reduce mortality from CHD among the under 75s in deprived areas.
Sources: (1) General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S))
(2) Analytical Services Division - Health (Scottish Government)
Note: Rates are European Age-Standardised Rates (EASR) per 100,000 population aged under 75 years. Most deprived 15% SIMD is based on SIMD 2006 at the national level.
Further Information