Socioeconomic Differences in the Incidence, Mortality and Prognosis of Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Finnish Adult Population

We examined the association of socioeconomic status (SES) with the incidence, mortality and case fatality of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). During 1982-1992, 909 ICH events were registered among persons aged 25-74 years. Taxable income was used as an indicator of SES. It was stratified into three categories: low, middle and high. The age-standardized incidence and mortality of ICH were significantly higher in the low- than in the high-income group in both genders. Among men aged 25-59 years, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of ICH death within 1 year after the onset of the event was twice as high in the low-income group as in the high-income group (OR = 2.12, 95% confidence interval 1.02-4.40). In conclusion, marked socioeconomic differences were found in the incidence and mortality of ICH, in particular among working aged men.