Education inequalities in overall mortality during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

• DOI: 10.19191/ep21.6.122
• Publication Date: 2022-01-11
• Authors: Gianfranco Alicandro; Gianni Corsetti; Marco Battaglini; Sabrina Prati; Luisa Frova
• Keywords: Pandemic

there is increasing concern that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected most vulnerable individuals.to determine whether education inequalities have widened during first wave of in Italy. DESIGN: historic cohort study based on administrative databases.the was subjects registered Base Register Individuals 01.01.2019, aged >=35 years, and followed-up until 30.06.2020.education mortality before, phase (March-April), second (May-June) Italy were measured through rate ratios (MRRs). MMRs estimated negative binomial models. The interaction term between period tested likelihood ratio test.the included 37,976,670 individuals, 719,665 them died over follow-up. In high areas, MRR among less educated men were: 1.48 (95%CI 1.42-1.55) pre-pandemic period, 1.45 1.36-1.55) 1.42 1.30-1.56) (p-value: 0.92). Corresponding figures women 1.26 1.21-1.32), 1.39 1.30-1.49), 1.35 1.23-1.48); p-value: 0.03. MRRs substantially increased 35-64 years (from to 1.98; p-value; 0.011) 65-79 1.22 1.51; 0.017). During phase, returned values observed before pandemic.in Italy, inequality working-age those years.