Analyses by Government Office North West and the North West Public Health Observatory compare how NW local authority life expectancies vary from the national average, by disease group and sex, and are expressed as months contributed to the local life expectancy 'gap'.
The results for Blackburn with Darwen in 2004-06 for men and women are shown in Figures 1 and 2, together with a comparison with 2001-03.
Figure 1. Male difference in life expectancy from England and Wales average (months), by cause.
In 2004-06 the top 3 contributors to the local life expectancy gap in men were
1. digestive diseases (including cirrhosis)
2. coronary heart disease
3. lung cancer
The major change since 2001-03 has been the progressively increasing contribution of digestive diseases, reflecting a growing trend in alcohol related premature deaths.
Figure 2. Female difference in life expectancy from England and Wales average (months), by cause.
In 2004-06 the top 3 specific contributors to the local life expectancy gap in women were;
1. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
2. digestive diseases (including cirrhosis)
3. coronary heart disease
The major changes since 2001-03 have been;
the increasing contribution of digestive diseases in women, as well as men, reflecting a growing trend in alcohol related premature deaths;
significant reductions in the contribution of female infant deaths and breast cancer deaths, both of which displayed a brief peak during 2001-03.
Similar work undertaken by the London Health Observatory also analysed the age-range of deaths contributing most to the local in life expectancy gap.
In 2003-05 deaths of local people aged 60-79 years contributed 46% and 56% of the gap in men and women respectively. More surprising was a 30% contribution by male deaths under 40 (compared with 13% in all Spearhead areas combined). This pattern was not seen in local females.
More details can be found in the downloadable document below.
