Exposure at Work Place and Excess Mortality in Sweden during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Björn Eriksson , Lund University
Tommy Bengtsson, Lund University
Martin Dribe, Lund University

In this study, we go beyond our previous analyses of differences in excess mortality by social class in Sweden during the 1918 pandemic, in which we found notable class differences but no perfect class gradient. We analyse the role of exposure to the pandemic using detailed information on occupation, work place, and geographical location. We analyse individual-level mortality of the entire population aged 30-59, by combining information from death records with census data on occupation and information on the size of the workplace. Excess mortality during the pandemic is measured as mortality relative to the same month the year before. Occupational differences in mortality are modelled using a complementary log-log model, adjusting for potential confounding at the family and the residential levels.

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 Presented in Session 18. Mortality Determinants