Area disadvantage, individual socio-economic position, and premature cancer mortality in Australia 1998 to 2000: a multilevel analysis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between area and individual socio-economic characteristics and premature cancer mortality using multilevel analysis. METHODS: We modeled cancer mortality among 25-64-year-old men and women (n = 16,340) between 1998 and 2000 in Australia. Socio-economic characteristics of Statistical Local Areas (n = 1,317) were measured using an Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (quintiles), and individual socio-economic position was measured by occupation (professionals, white and blue collar). RESULTS: After adjustment for within-area variation in age and occupation, the probability of premature cancer mortality was highest in the most disadvantaged areas for ..