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Deaths of children occurring at home in six European countries

Deaths of children occurring at home in six European countries
Deaths of children occurring at home in six European countries
Objectives: Until now there have been no population-based European data available regarding place of death of children. This study aimed to compare proportions of home death for all children and for children dying from complex chronic conditions (CCC) in six European countries and to investigate related socio-demographic and clinical factors.

Methods: Data were collected from the death certificates of all deceased children aged 1–17 years in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, England, Wales (2003) and Italy (2002). Gender, cause and place of death (home vs. outside home) and socio-demographic factors (socio-economic status, degree of urbanization and number of hospital beds in the area) were included in the analyses. Data were analysed using frequencies and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: In total 3328 deaths were included in the analyses; 1037 (31.2%) related to CCC. The proportion of home deaths varied between 19.6% in Italy and 28.6% in the Netherlands and was higher for children dying from CCC in all the countries studied, varying between 21.7% in Italy and 50% in the Netherlands. Among children dying from CCC, home death was more likely for cancer patients and those aged over 10 years. After controlling for potentially related clinical and socio-demographic factors, differences in the proportion of home deaths between countries remained significant, with higher proportions in Belgium and the Netherlands as compared with Italy.

Conclusions: Although home deaths comprise a substantial proportion of all deaths of children with CCCs, variation among disease categories and across countries suggest that considerable potential still exists for further improvements in facilitating end-of-life care in the home for those children and families who desire to be in this location.

children, chronic disease, location of death, palliative care
0305-1862
375-384
Pousset, G.
caf1023f-fe85-4c4a-bc96-ce1ab90bea4c
Bilsen, J.
2f7364f9-ba6b-4f7f-9728-679b660c2d9f
Cohen, J.
6eddab3c-5a4d-458d-bcf9-c03812e057ea
Addington-Hall, J.
87560cc4-7562-4f9b-b908-81f3b603fdd8
Miccinesi, G.
36cbb6b3-04e1-41e5-a3fb-065f633f31e6
Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.
83189262-4489-4743-a7d0-b97a6d7d04df
Kaasa, S.
73d70abb-d34e-406f-934e-b35489d50451
Mortier, F.
07be4044-58cd-43a4-880a-0d0243fa3455
Deliens, L.
5a6d963a-bb44-4291-97c6-fd78dafa51d4
Pousset, G.
caf1023f-fe85-4c4a-bc96-ce1ab90bea4c
Bilsen, J.
2f7364f9-ba6b-4f7f-9728-679b660c2d9f
Cohen, J.
6eddab3c-5a4d-458d-bcf9-c03812e057ea
Addington-Hall, J.
87560cc4-7562-4f9b-b908-81f3b603fdd8
Miccinesi, G.
36cbb6b3-04e1-41e5-a3fb-065f633f31e6
Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.
83189262-4489-4743-a7d0-b97a6d7d04df
Kaasa, S.
73d70abb-d34e-406f-934e-b35489d50451
Mortier, F.
07be4044-58cd-43a4-880a-0d0243fa3455
Deliens, L.
5a6d963a-bb44-4291-97c6-fd78dafa51d4

Pousset, G., Bilsen, J., Cohen, J., Addington-Hall, J., Miccinesi, G., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B., Kaasa, S., Mortier, F. and Deliens, L. (2009) Deaths of children occurring at home in six European countries. Child: Care, Health and Development, 36 (3), 375-384. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.01028.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objectives: Until now there have been no population-based European data available regarding place of death of children. This study aimed to compare proportions of home death for all children and for children dying from complex chronic conditions (CCC) in six European countries and to investigate related socio-demographic and clinical factors.

Methods: Data were collected from the death certificates of all deceased children aged 1–17 years in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, England, Wales (2003) and Italy (2002). Gender, cause and place of death (home vs. outside home) and socio-demographic factors (socio-economic status, degree of urbanization and number of hospital beds in the area) were included in the analyses. Data were analysed using frequencies and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: In total 3328 deaths were included in the analyses; 1037 (31.2%) related to CCC. The proportion of home deaths varied between 19.6% in Italy and 28.6% in the Netherlands and was higher for children dying from CCC in all the countries studied, varying between 21.7% in Italy and 50% in the Netherlands. Among children dying from CCC, home death was more likely for cancer patients and those aged over 10 years. After controlling for potentially related clinical and socio-demographic factors, differences in the proportion of home deaths between countries remained significant, with higher proportions in Belgium and the Netherlands as compared with Italy.

Conclusions: Although home deaths comprise a substantial proportion of all deaths of children with CCCs, variation among disease categories and across countries suggest that considerable potential still exists for further improvements in facilitating end-of-life care in the home for those children and families who desire to be in this location.

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More information

Published date: 25 November 2009
Keywords: children, chronic disease, location of death, palliative care
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 157583
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/157583
ISSN: 0305-1862
PURE UUID: 6df89d49-1f3f-4dc8-9a34-12b7dbd6af43

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Date deposited: 08 Jun 2010 13:55
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 01:48

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Contributors

Author: G. Pousset
Author: J. Bilsen
Author: J. Cohen
Author: G. Miccinesi
Author: B. Onwuteaka-Philipsen
Author: S. Kaasa
Author: F. Mortier
Author: L. Deliens

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