Vanthomme Katrien, Gadeyne Sylvie, Lusyne Patrick, Vandenheede Hadewijch
Sociology Department, Interface Demography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
Statbel, Directorate General Statistics - Statistics Belgium, North Gate - Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 16 - 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
SSM Popul Health. 2021 Apr 16;14:100797. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100797. eCollection 2021 Jun.
Belgium has noted a significant excess mortality during the first COVID-19 wave. Research in other countries has shown that people with migrant origin are disproportionally affected. Belgium has an ethnically diverse and increasingly ageing population and is therefore particularly apt to study differential mortality by migrant group during this first wave of COVID-19.
We used nationwide individually-linked data from the Belgian National Register providing sociodemographic indicators and mortality; and the administrative census of 2011 providing indicators of socioeconomic position. Age-standardized all-cause mortality rates (ASMRs) were calculated during the first COVID-19 wave (weeks 11-20 in 2020) and compared with ASMRs during weeks 11-20 in 2019 to calculate excess mortality by migrant origin, age and gender. For both years, relative inequalities were calculated by migrant group using Poisson regression, with and without adjustment for sociodemographic and socioeconomic indicators.
Among the middle-aged, ASMRs revealed increased mortality in all origin groups, with significant excess mortality for Belgians and Sub-Saharan African men. At old age, excess mortality up to 60% was observed for all groups. In relative terms, most male elderly migrant groups showed higher mortality than natives, as opposed to 2019 and to women. Adding the control variables decreased this excess mortality.
This study underlined important inequalities in overall and excess mortality in specific migrant communities, especially in men. Tailor-made policy measures and communication strategies should be set-up taking into account the particular risks to which groups are exposed.
比利时注意到在第一波新冠疫情期间死亡率显著过高。其他国家的研究表明，有移民背景的人群受到的影响尤为严重。比利时人口种族多样且老龄化程度日益加深，因此特别适合研究在第一波新冠疫情期间不同移民群体的死亡率差异。
我们使用了来自比利时国家登记处的全国性个人关联数据，该数据提供社会人口统计学指标和死亡率；以及2011年的行政普查数据，该数据提供社会经济地位指标。计算了第一波新冠疫情期间（2020年第11 - 20周）的年龄标准化全因死亡率（ASMRs），并与2019年第11 - 20周的ASMRs进行比较，以计算按移民出身、年龄和性别划分的超额死亡率。对于这两年，使用泊松回归计算不同移民群体的相对不平等情况，分别调整和未调整社会人口统计学和社会经济指标。
在中年人中，ASMRs显示所有出身群体的死亡率都有所上升，比利时人和撒哈拉以南非洲男性的超额死亡率显著。在老年人中，所有群体的超额死亡率高达60%。相对而言，与2019年及女性情况相反，大多数老年男性移民群体的死亡率高于本地人。加入控制变量后，这种超额死亡率有所降低。
本研究强调了特定移民社区在总体死亡率和超额死亡率方面存在的重要不平等现象，尤其是在男性中。应制定量身定制的政策措施和沟通策略，考虑到不同群体面临的特定风险。
