Citation

Bremberg S. Scand. J. Public Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Associations of Public Health in the Nordic Countries Regions, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1403494820921684

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the Nordic countries, there are ambitious welfare policies that might reduce rural-urban health disparities.

AIM: To investigate the effect of population density on health in four Nordic countries.

METHODS: The health outcomes analysed were life expectancy and potential years of life lost. The effect of population density was appraised as the difference in life expectancy/ potential years of life lost by a 10-fold increase of population density.

RESULTS: In Finland, Norway and Sweden, mortality rates were consistently higher in less densely populated municipalities. These disparities increased over time.

CONCLUSIONS: The welfare efforts to offset rural-urban disparities have mostly not been sufficient.

Language: en

Keywords

mortality; urban; rural; Nordic