MEASURING INEQUALITIES IN HEALTH - AN ANALYSIS OF MORTALITY PATTERNS USING 2 SOCIAL CLASSIFICATIONS

The paper investigates relationship between mortality and social class as measured by the Erikson-Goldthorpe schema, a validated measure of employment conditions, and compares this with differentials found usin g the Registrar General's social classes. Two cohorts of men aged 15/1 6-64 were drawn from the OPCS Longitudinal Study for 1971 and 1981. Mo rtality differences between social classes were estimated using deaths occurring between 1976 and 1980 in the first cohort and 1986 and 1989 in the second. The two classification were formally compared by means of the Relative Index of Dissimilarity and a likelihood-based statist ic. Similar mortality differentials were found using both classificati ons in the two time periods. The Erikson-Goldthorpe schema showed a cl ear pattern of higher mortality in those groups without a career struc ture and with lower discretion over their work. The paper concludes th at inequalities in health are seen when a validated social class schem a based on employment conditions is used. The use of validated measure s will make it possible for health differences to be more clearly inte rpreted in policy terms.