Are socioeconomic inequalities in mortality decreasing or increasing within some British regions? An observational study, 1990-1998.

Background: This paper evaluates claims in a recent study that inequalities in small area mortality rates have lessened. We examine the effect of differently estimated populations on time trends in age-specific mortality rates for Yorkshire and the Humber and East of England.

Methods: Populations were estimated for wards using four methods that introduce increasing amounts of information.