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Social Class and Excess Mortality in Sweden During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Bengtsson, Tommy LU ; Dribe, Martin LU and Eriksson, Björn LU (2018) In American Journal of Epidemiology 187(12). p.2568-2576
Abstract
There is no consensus in the literature about the role of socioeconomic factors on influenza mortality during the 1918 pandemic. While some scholars have found that social factors were important, others have not. In this study, we analyzed differences in excess mortality by social class in Sweden during the 1918 pandemic. We analyzed individual-level mortality of the entire population aged 30–59, by combining information from death records with census data on occupation. Social class was measured by an occupation-based class scheme. Excess mortality during the pandemic was measured as mortality relative to the same month the year before. Social class differences in mortality were modeled using a complementary log-log model, adjusting for... (More)
There is no consensus in the literature about the role of socioeconomic factors on influenza mortality during the 1918 pandemic. While some scholars have found that social factors were important, others have not. In this study, we analyzed differences in excess mortality by social class in Sweden during the 1918 pandemic. We analyzed individual-level mortality of the entire population aged 30–59, by combining information from death records with census data on occupation. Social class was measured by an occupation-based class scheme. Excess mortality during the pandemic was measured as mortality relative to the same month the year before. Social class differences in mortality were modeled using a complementary log-log model, adjusting for potential confounding at the family, the residential (urban/rural) and the county levels. Our findings indicated notable class differences in excess mortality but no perfect class gradient. Class differences were somewhat larger for men than for women. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
1918 pandemic, individual level, influenza, longitudinal, mortality, occupation, social class, Sweden
in
American Journal of Epidemiology
volume
187
issue
12
pages
2568 - 2576
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:30059957
  • scopus:85059592044
ISSN
0002-9262
DOI
10.1093/aje/kwy151
project
Landskrona Population Study
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
20903ef6-0402-4d30-9eb5-a9c9b5e02ae4
date added to LUP
2018-08-13 15:25:55
date last changed
2022-04-02 01:31:27
@article{20903ef6-0402-4d30-9eb5-a9c9b5e02ae4,
  abstract     = {{There is no consensus in the literature about the role of socioeconomic factors on influenza mortality during the 1918 pandemic. While some scholars have found that social factors were important, others have not. In this study, we analyzed differences in excess mortality by social class in Sweden during the 1918 pandemic. We analyzed individual-level mortality of the entire population aged 30–59, by combining information from death records with census data on occupation. Social class was measured by an occupation-based class scheme. Excess mortality during the pandemic was measured as mortality relative to the same month the year before. Social class differences in mortality were modeled using a complementary log-log model, adjusting for potential confounding at the family, the residential (urban/rural) and the county levels. Our findings indicated notable class differences in excess mortality but no perfect class gradient. Class differences were somewhat larger for men than for women.}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, Tommy and Dribe, Martin and Eriksson, Björn}},
  issn         = {{0002-9262}},
  keywords     = {{1918 pandemic; individual level; influenza; longitudinal; mortality; occupation; social class; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{2568--2576}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Epidemiology}},
  title        = {{Social Class and Excess Mortality in Sweden During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/68280491/BengtssonDribeEriksson_accepted_version.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/aje/kwy151}},
  volume       = {{187}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}