Mortality among 723 948 foreign- and native-born Swedes 1970–1999

Abstract

Background: Mortality in a population is regarded as an accurate and valid measure of the population's health. There are a few international studies, predominantly cross-sectional, of mortality among all foreign-born compared with an indigenous population, and the results have varied. No Swedish longitudinal study describing and analysing mortality data was found in a literature review. Methods: This study describes and analyses the differences in mortality between foreign-born persons and native Swedes during the period 1970–1999, based on data from Statistics Sweden and the National Board of Health and Welfare. The database consisted of 723 948 persons, 361 974 foreign-born living in Sweden in 1970, aged ≥16 years, and 361 974 Swedish controls matched for age, sex, occupation and type of employment, living in the same county in 1970. Results: The results showed increased mortality for foreign-born persons compared with the Swedish controls [odds ratio (OR) 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.08]. Persons who had migrated ‘late’ (1941–1970) to Sweden were 2.5 years younger at time of death than controls. In relation to country of birth, the highest risk odds were for men born in Finland (OR 1.21), Denmark (OR 1.11) and Norway/Iceland (OR 1.074). Age cohorts of foreign-born persons born between 1901 and 1920 had higher mortality at age 55–69 years than cohorts born between 1921 and 1944. Conclusions: Migrants had higher mortality than the native population, and migration may be a risk factor for health; therefore, this seems to be an important factor to consider when studying mortality and health.