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), Germany
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