Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 31.1
Spatial patterns of longevity and deprivation in England
Set against the policy framework of the
Health of the
Nation
White Paper, Soni Raleigh and Kiri (1997) have
examined the spatial association of life expectancy
and socio-economic deprivation in the 105 District
Health Authorities (DHAs) of England. As illustrated by
a map of male life expectancy at birth (LEB) for the
years 1992-4 (Figure 31.1), the analysis reveals that
male longevity declines along a south-north gradient.
So, with the exception of parts of Greater London,
DHAs to the south, east and west of England generally
display a high LEB (= 74.5 years). From here, life
expectancies decline to intermediate levels in the
Midlands, reaching their lowest values (LEB = 73.4
years) in some northern districts. Life expectancies for
females mimic the same basic spatial pattern, albeit
at relatively higher values of LEB.
Aspects of the spatial association of life expectancy
and socio-economic deprivation in the DHAs of England
are examined graphically in Figure 31.2. The horizontal
axis of each graph plots the 105 DHAs according to a
seven-category ranking of a standard index of socio
economic deprivation (a Jarman Index, formed in Figure
31.2 such that category 1 represents the least deprived
areas and category 7 the most deprived) against, on the
vertical axis, various indices of life expectancy. Trend
lines (linear regression lines fitted by ordinary least
squares) and Pearson's
r
correlation coefficients are
shown to assist in the interpretation of the graphs.
Figure 31.2 identifies three main features of the
spatial association of life expectancy and socio-economic
deprivation in England:
1
Life expectancy is inversely associated with the level
of deprivation in an area
For each deprivation category
and DHA, Figure 31.2A plots estimates of LEB for
males (lower line trace) and females (upper line trace)
in the period 1992-4. While there is considerable
variation in gender-specific life expectancy within a
given deprivation category, the overall trends are for
life expectancy to fall as the level of deprivation in an
area increases. These visual associations are
confirmed by the statistically significant
Figure 31.1
Life expectancy at
birth (LEB) for males in the district
health authorities (DHAs) of
England, 1992-4.
Source:
Drawn from data in Soni
Raleigh and Kiri 1997: Table 1,
pp. 654-5.
