Determinants of Pandemic Influenza Mortality Rates in Europe
Author Information
Author(s): Nikolopoulos Georgios, Bagos Pantelis, Lytras Theodoros, Bonovas Stefanos
Primary Institution: Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece
Hypothesis
What are the socioeconomic determinants of pandemic mortality rates across European countries?
Conclusion
Higher public spending on health is associated with lower pandemic influenza mortality rates.
Supporting Evidence
- A rise of 100 international dollars in health spending is linked to a 2.8% reduction in mortality.
- The study analyzed data from 30 countries to find associations between health spending and mortality.
- Statistical models showed a consistent inverse relationship between health expenditure and death rates.
Takeaway
Countries that spend more money on health care have fewer deaths from the flu pandemic.
Methodology
Random-effects Poisson regression models were used to analyze data from 30 European countries.
Potential Biases
Potential underreporting of deaths in countries with lower health spending could bias results.
Limitations
The study may have spurious correlations and ecological fallacies due to aggregate data.
Participant Demographics
Data from 30 European countries with varying health care expenditures.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Confidence Interval
95% CI: –0.00046, –0.00010
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website