Avoidable Mortality Among People with Disabilities in South Korea: A Nationwide 10-Year Trend Analysis, 2015–2024

Background: People with disabilities experience health inequities and premature mortality, but evidence on changes in avoidable mortality remains limited. Monitoring preventable and treatable mortality can help describe changes in premature deaths that may be amenable to public health measures or healthcare. Objectives: This study examined trends in avoidable, preventable, and treatable mortality among registered people with disabilities in South Korea from 2015 to 2024 and assessed differences by disability characteristics. Methods: We analyzed linked data from the Registered Disability Database and Cause of Death Statistics. Causes of death were classified according to the OECD/Eurostat criteria, and age-standardized mortality rates were calculated using the 2005 total population as the standard population. Annual percentage changes (APCs) were estimated using a log-linear regression model. Results: Overall age-standardized avoidable mortality decreased by 5.68% over a 10-year period (APC, −0.1%; 95% CI, −2.1 to 1.9). Preventable mortality decreased by 11.74% (APC, −0.6%; 95% CI, −2.8 to 1.7), whereas treatable mortality increased by 4.07% (APC, 0.7%; 95% CI, −0.9 to 2.3). None of the overall mortality trends was statistically significant. However, treatable mortality increased significantly among adults aged 45–64 years (APC, 2.1%; p < 0.05) and people with mild disabilities (APC, 2.0%; p < 0.05). Treatable mortality was high among people with developmental and brain lesion disabilities; cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, and aspiration pneumonia were major causes of death. Conclusions: These findings support continued monitoring of avoidable mortality and further investigation into factors potentially associated with mortality patterns across disability groups, including healthcare access and utilization. Such evidence may inform disability-inclusive health policies.