The impact of chosen socio-demographic determinants on average age at death of Roma in Slovenia

Abstract The average life expectancy of Roma in Slovenia is shorter than of non-Roma population. We were interested in exploring the impact of selected social-education and demographic-gender factors on the average age at death of Roma, compared to non-Roma population. The population of Roma settlements was selected from the Slovenian Population Register. We used mortality data for the 5-year period 2018-2022 from the Database of Deceased Persons. We compared the mean age at death for the Roma and non-Roma population according to the level of education of persons older than 14 years, age and gender. We used descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the column proportion comparison test (p-value < 0.05, 95% CI). All differences observed in the results are statistically significant. The average age at death for Roma in Slovenia is 64.2 years, compared to 78.5 years of non-Roma. A significant difference is observed in the level of education attained. While 73.4% of Roma completed primary education, only 21.7% of non-Roma population did so. 25,0% of Roma individuals completed secondary education, compared to 52,7% in others. Only 1.6% of Roma completed higher or university education, while 25.6% of non-Roma. Roma individuals with only primary education have an average age at death of 65.4 years, whereas others with the same level of education live to 81.4 years on average. The average age at death for Roma men is 62.0 years, while other male residents died in average at 74.6 years (p < 0.05). Roma women have an average life expectancy of 68 years, while other females died in average at 82.3 years. Gender differences are also apparent among Roma: men, on average, die at 62 years, while women die at 68 years. Roma die 14.2 years earlier than non-Roma. Education and gender significantly influence the average age at death among Roma. Further research is needed to assess the impact of other determinants on Roma health and to develop more effective health programs. Key messages • Comprehensive efforts addressing key social and health determinants are needed to increase the average life expectancy of Roma. • It is essential to create tailored, life-cycle programs to promote healthy behaviours and prevent disease within the Roma minority.