Why is Mortality Low among the Swedish-Speaking Minority in Finland?

Abstract

Life expectancy has been substantially longer among the Swedish-speaking Finnsthan in the rest of the population. The relative mortality difference appears to beparticularly marked among the middle-aged. This study examines the possible reasonsfor this mortality difference.The mortality advantage of the Swedish-speaking Finns is connected with their morefavorable geographic location and socioeconomic position. For women these factorsexplain all of the mortality difference but among men two-thirds of the original difference,a 20% excess mortality of the Finnish-speaking majority, persists after adjustingfor the structural differences. In men, the main part of the mortality differenceresults from factors responsible for excess mortality of the Finnish-speaking populationfrom cardiovascular diseases and non-natural causes of death. A similar mortalitycontrast is seen in women as well, but it is compensated by other causes of deathwhich are more common among Swedish-speaking than among Finnish-speakingwomen.