Socioeconomic inequalities in avoidable mortality in Italy: results from a nationwide longitudinal cohort

Disparities in avoidable mortality have never been evaluated in Italy at the national level. The present study aimed to assess the association between socioeconomic status and avoidable mortality. The nationwide closed cohort of the 2011 Census of Population and Housing was followed up for 2012–2019 mortality. Outcomes of preventable and of treatable mortality were separately evaluated among people aged 30–74. Education level (elementary school or less, middle school, high school diploma, university degree or more) and residence macro area (North-West, North-East, Center, South-Islands) were the exposures, for which adjusted mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were calculated through multivariate quasi-Poisson regression models, adjusted for age at death. Relative index of inequalities was estimated for preventable, treatable, and non-avoidable mortality and for some specific causes. The cohort consisted of 35,708,459 residents (48.8