Ethnic inequalities in age- and cause-specific mortality in The Netherlands

Background By describing ethnic differences in age- and cause-specific mortality in The Netherlands we aim to identify factors that determine whether ethnic minority groups have higher or lower mortality than the native population of the host country. Methods We used data for 1995–2000 from the municipal population registers and cause of death registry. All inhabitants of The Netherlands were included in the study. The mortality of people who themselves or whose parent(s) were born in Turkey, Morocco, Surinam, or the Dutch Antilles/Aruba was compared with that of the native Dutch population. Mortality differences were estimated by Poisson regression analyses and by directly standardized mortality rates. Results Compared with native Dutch men, mortality was higher among Turkish (relativ