Last update:
07-Jul-2019

Health indicators are used for general population health research and for determining health priorities and decisionmaking in health policy. Reliable health indicators depend on effective recording and processing of health data on both a national and a global level. In this article a comparative analysis of the main causes of death and health risk factors between Greece and the other European countries is presented, based on the health indicators and data in the databases of World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission (EC) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The major causes of death, both in Greece and Europe are circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms and respiratory diseases. Over time, the mortality rate, across all causes and per mortality cause, is declining throughout Europe. Risk factors vary widely between countries; Greece is ranked first in consumption of tobacco products and child overweight-obesity, and last in adult alcohol consumption. The evaluation of relevant policies, in combination with the design and implementation of prevention programs in the context of an integrated framework of public interventions, should receive high priority. In this context, the reduction of health risks should be addressed, targeting change in the current behavioral patterns which constitute health hazards.

Key words: Health indicators, Health risk factors, Mortality.