Death and deprivation: an exploratory analysis of deaths in the Health andLifestyle survey

An analysis is undertaken of deaths of respondents in the UK- representativ e Health and Lifestyle Survey. The sample was originally interviewed in 198 4/5 and followed initially until May 1997, Using multilevel logistic and Co x-proportional hazards models, the relationships between death and a wide r ange of social circumstances and behaviours is explored. It is found that p lace deprivation interacts with individual social class in accounting for v ariations in mortality. This is the case even when account is taken of pers onal health-related behaviour. There appears to be some evidence of a thres hold relationship such that the differential effects of social class are on ly found at high-levels of deprivation. No statistically significant intera ctions are found for social and behavioural variables, for behavioural and place deprivation variables, and for social and place deprivation variables with the exception of social class. The study is deliberately exploratory and a wide range of models have been fitted which will be subject to more r igorous evaluation as the HALS death study proceeds. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.