Trends in Avoidable Mortality in European Cross-Border Regions between 1992-2020

Sophie Stroisch , University of Groningen
Pavel Grigoriev, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), Germany
Michael Muehlichen, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
Rok Hrzic, Maastricht University
Vogt Tobias, University of Groningen

Cross-border regions have evolved from often dependent peripheries to integrated zones within the open European borders, creating new opportunities including cross-border cooperation in the health care systems. While these changes have positively impacted health and life expectancy in European Union (EU) member states, empirical evidence for cross-border comparisons within Europe is scarce. Existing mortality research in Europe predominately concentrates on state-level comparisons or regional disparities within single nations. This paper addresses this gap by analysing trends in avoidable mortality within cross-border regions spanning EU member states and the Schengen area from 1992 to 2020. Researching trends on avoidable mortality in EU cross-border regions is particularly interesting as those regions can be seen as small-scale test laboratories to measure the success of two different health systems in preventing disease for a relatively similar population. We utilize data from the 'Regional Disparities in Cause-Specific Mortality in Europe' (REDIM) project, which maintains a repository of harmonized regional cause-specific mortality data for over 20 European countries from 1990 onward. Following guidelines established by the OECD and Eurostat for preventable and amenable causes of death, alongside cause-specific death rates, we will calculate avoidable mortality, disaggregated by sex, in cross-border regions within Europe and non-border regions for comparison over the specified period. We anticipate that findings will vary across different cross-border regions, reflecting variations in cross-border healthcare cooperation. This study aims to provide the first comprehensive assessment of the trends in avoidable mortality in EU cross-border regions, enriching discussions on European integration processes.

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 Presented in Session 51. Flash session Causes of Death and Multi-morbidity at Death