Abstract
Study background: Considering that preventable mortality is still a significant problem in European countries and large differences exists between these countries, this study first analyses which expenditures, as percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are related to preventable mortality. Secondly, quantitative and qualitative healthcare indicators as well as life style indicators are introduced to investigate their contribution to explain preventable mortality.
Methods: The study is cross-sectional, using data of international databases (like Eurostat and OECD) of 31 European countries. The years the data were collected vary between 2009 and 2014. The following indicators are used to explain preventable mortality: percentage of GDP expenditures on healthcare, education, and social protection, quantitative and qualitative healthcare indicators (% vaccinated children, % women screened on cervical cancer and breast cancer, the overall volume of prescribed antibiotics, standardised infant mortality, Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) mortality rate after hospital admission, and % of persons aged 16 and over reporting unmet needs for medical care), and life style indicators (% low reading literacy, % smokers, % of adults with insufficient physical activity, % obese persons, alcohol consumption, and exposure to air pollution). Significant indicators are analysed by forward regression.
Results: Expenditure on social protection is strongest related to preventable mortality. Significant correlations between quantitative and qualitative health care indicators disappear when social protection expenditure is introduced as explaining variable. Besides social protection expenditure, alcohol consumption and physical activity contribute to preventable mortality.
Conclusion: Strengthening the comprehensiveness and expenditures of social protection policy is essential to reduce preventable mortality. Also, this study provides concrete examples for focused action.
Citation
van den Heuvel WJA, Ghinescu M and Olaroiu M. How to Prevent Preventable Death? SM Prev Med Public Health. 2017; 1(1): 1004.