Mortality and socio-economic differences in Denmark: a competing risks proportional hazard model

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mortality and socio-economic differences in Denmark

T2 - a competing risks proportional hazard model

AU - Munch, Jakob Roland

AU - Svarer, Michael

N1 - JEL Classification: I12, J11, J12

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - This paper explores how mortality is related to such socio-economic factors as education, occupation, skill level and income for the years 1992-1997 using an extensive sample of the Danish population. We employ a competing risks proportional hazard model to allow for different causes of death. This method is important as some factors have unequal (and sometimes opposite) influence on the cause-specific mortality rates. We find that the often-found inverse correlation between socio-economic status and mortality is to a large degree absent among Danish women who die of cancer. In addition, for men the negative correlation between socio-economic status and mortality prevails for some diseases, but for women we find that factors such as being married, income, wealth and education are not significantly associated with higher life expectancy. Marriage increases the likelihood of dying from cancer for women, early retirement prolongs survival for men, and homeownership increases life expectancy in general.

AB - This paper explores how mortality is related to such socio-economic factors as education, occupation, skill level and income for the years 1992-1997 using an extensive sample of the Danish population. We employ a competing risks proportional hazard model to allow for different causes of death. This method is important as some factors have unequal (and sometimes opposite) influence on the cause-specific mortality rates. We find that the often-found inverse correlation between socio-economic status and mortality is to a large degree absent among Danish women who die of cancer. In addition, for men the negative correlation between socio-economic status and mortality prevails for some diseases, but for women we find that factors such as being married, income, wealth and education are not significantly associated with higher life expectancy. Marriage increases the likelihood of dying from cancer for women, early retirement prolongs survival for men, and homeownership increases life expectancy in general.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - mortality

KW - life expectancy

U2 - 10.1016/j.ehb.2004.10.001

DO - 10.1016/j.ehb.2004.10.001

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 15722260

SN - 1570-677X

VL - 3

SP - 17

EP - 32

JO - Economics and Human Biology

JF - Economics and Human Biology

IS - 1

ER -