"Multiple deprivation and health inequalities in Belgium"

Abstract

This doctoral thesis provides a comprehensive and coherent analysis of socioeconomic health inequalities in Belgium since the 2000s. It begins by describing the motivation behind the creation of the first Belgian indices of multiple deprivation and explaining their complex methodology. The thesis then demonstrates the application of these indices in the investigation of health inequalities. Specifically, it explores socioeconomic differences in all-age mortality and cause-specific premature mortality, quantifying the contribution of deprivation to premature deaths, and potential years of life lost, highlighting the geographical disparities across Belgium, and identifying hotspots of inequality. Additionally, the work examines spatial and temporal variations in cause-specific premature mortality risk across Belgian municipalities, assessing how deprivation shapes these risks. Finally, the thesis analyzes lifespan indicators-such as life expectancy at birth and modal age at death-uncovering trends and inequalities across deprivation deciles from 2000 to 2019, with a particular focus on older adults.