| Abstract: | Problems in defining social class and its relationship to health are discussed and the results of a study of infant mortality from 1976 to 1979 in socioeconomically ranked suburbs of Brisbane are presented. The ranking is according to a score developed from aggregate suburb data gathered at the 1976 and 1981 censuses; the population at risk was ascertained from published annual suburb birth figures, and numbers of death by suburb, age and cause, from computerised mortality files. Significantly higher mortality rates in lower ranking suburbs were observed. Possible explanations for, and implications of, the findings are discussed. |
