Table 3

Tercile distribution of the age-adjusted mortality by oral and pharyngeal cancer in males (Barcelona, Spain, and São Paulo, Brazil, 1995–2003): medians for the death rate and socioeconomic indices; area-level correlation coefficient.

Barcelona
1st tercile
2nd tercile
3rd tercile
Correlation coefficient*

Age-adjusted death rate
4.78
6.49
11.69
--
Unemployment rate
9.8%
10.7%
12.6%
+0.618 (p < 0.001)
% Low instruction
3.3%
5.1%
9.1%
+0.652 (p < 0.001)
% Academic degree
17.0%
8.5%
7.0%
-0.317 (p = 0.026)
HDI**
0.693
0.622
0.403
-0.515 (p < 0.001)

São Paulo
1sttercile
2ndtercile
3rd tercile
Correlation coefficient*

Age-adjusted death rate
6.10
9.04
12.15
--
Unemployment rate
6.1%
10.8%
8.7%
+0.118 (p = 0.127)
% Low instruction
7.9%
20.2%
17.6%
+0.308 (p = 0.001)
% Academic degree
31.9%
7.8%
7.6%
-0.472 (p < 0.001)
HDI**
0.708
0.479
0.547
-0.348 (p < 0.001)

* Correlation between each socioeconomic index and mortality, at the area level.

** HDI: human development index.

Antunes et al. International Journal for Equity in Health 2008 7:14   doi:10.1186/1475-9276-7-14