[Relative risk areas in the Louvain region. An ordinal geographical analysis of the health status and the distribution of health care].

Abstract

The analysis of the absolute figures of 21 socio-economic, hygienic and demographic indicators for the 30 communes of the district of Leuven did not show significant differences. A fourfold ordinal analysis, however, revealed a systematic pattern of differences for wealth, hygienic amenities, migration, birth rate and SMR. Six types of communes with two relative risk areas were described: cities and city-like communes, residential areas, rural villages with high emigration rates, poor economic areas, and transition areas between rural villages and cities and between wealthy and poor economic areas. The same pattern was found, though to a lesser degree, in the distribution of the facilities for health care and social welfare. The more wealthy communes were very well provided by these services, while the relative risk areas were overlooked.