[Socioeconomic inequalities and premature mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Brazil]. / Desigualdade social e mortalidade precoce por doenças cardiovasculares no Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between some indicators of socioeconomic status and adult mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Brazil. METHODS: Adult deaths (aged between 35 and 64 years) due to cardiovascular diseases and subgroups of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular-hypertensive diseases were assessed during the period from 1999 to 2001. Data was obtained from the National Mortality Information System. Ninety-eight Brazilian municipalities with the best quality of information were included in the study. Simple and multiple linear regression methods were used to assess the association between socioeconomic indicators and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed a negative association between mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular-hypertensive diseases and income and education and a direct association with poverty rates and poor housing conditions. In regard to ischemic heart disease, there was an inverse association with poverty rates and education indicators and a direct association with poor housing conditions. After adjusting to other variables, education still remained associated to mortality due to cardiovascular disease and its subgroups. For each percent point increase in adults with high level of education, there was a decrease of 3.25 per 100,000 inhabitants in the mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of mortality in those municipalities has shown there is an inverse association between cardiovascular diseases and social and economic factors, especially education. Is it likely that better education can improve life conditions and thus have a positive impact on premature mortality.

Desigualdade social e mortalidade precoce por doenças cardiovasculares no Brasil / Socioeconomic inequalities and premature mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Brazil

OBJETIVO: Investigar associação entre alguns indicadores de nível socioeconômico e mortalidade de adultos por doenças cardiovasculares no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados os óbitos de adultos (35 a 64 anos), ocorridos entre 1999 a 2001, por doenças cardiovasculares, e pelos subgrupos das doenças isquêmicas do coração e doenças cerebrovasculares-hipertensivas, obtidos no Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade. Foram selecionados para análise 98 municípios brasileiros, com melhor qualidade de informação. Para analisar a associação entre indicadores socioeconômicos e a mortalidade por doenças cardiovasculares, foi utilizada a regressão linear simples e múltipla. RESULTADOS: Na análise univariada, verificou-se associação negativa para a mortalidade por doenças cardiovasculares e o subgrupo das cerebrovasculares-hipertensivas com renda e escolaridade, e associação direta com taxa de pobreza e condições precárias de moradia. Quanto às doenças isquêmicas, houve associação inversa com taxa de pobreza e escolaridade, e direta com condições precárias de moradia. A escolaridade, após ajuste pelo modelo de regressão linear múltipla, permaneceu associada à mortalidade pela doença investigada e seus subgrupos. A cada ponto percentual de aumento na proporção de adultos com alta escolaridade, a taxa de mortalidade por doenças cardiovasculares diminui em 3,25 por 100.000 habitantes. CONCLUSÕES: A análise da mortalidade dos municípios mostrou que a associação entre doenças cardiovasculares e fatores socioeconômicos é inversa, destacando-se a escolaridade. É provável que melhor escolaridade possibilite melhores condições de vida e, conseqüentemente, impacto positivo na mortalidade precoce.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between some indicators of socioeconomic status and adult mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Brazil. METHODS: Adult deaths (aged between 35 and 64 years) due to cardiovascular diseases and subgroups of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular-hypertensive diseases were assessed during the period from 1999 to 2001. Data was obtained from the National Mortality Information System. Ninety-eight Brazilian municipalities with the best quality of information were included in the study. Simple and multiple linear regression methods were used to assess the association between socioeconomic indicators and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed a negative association between mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular-hypertensive diseases and income and education and a direct association with poverty rates and poor housing conditions. In regard to ischemic heart disease, there was an inverse association with poverty rates and education indicators and a direct association with poor housing conditions. After adjusting to other variables, education still remained associated to mortality due to cardiovascular disease and its subgroups. For each percent point increase in adults with high level of education, there was a decrease of 3.25 per 100,000 inhabitants in the mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of mortality in those municipalities has shown there is an inverse association between cardiovascular diseases and social and economic factors, especially education. Is it likely that better education can improve life conditions and thus have a positive impact on premature mortality.

[Life expectancy with functional disability in elderly persons in São Paulo, Brazil]. / Expectativa de vida com incapacidade funcional em idosos em São Paulo, Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: For persons 60 years of age or older living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in the year 2000 to estimate four characteristics: (1) life expectancy free of functional disability, (2) life expectancy with functional disability, (3) life expectancy with functional disability but without dependence, and (4) life expectancy with functional disability and dependence. METHODS: The estimates of the four characteristics were calculated by means of a life table constructed based on the method proposed by Sullivan. The basic data used for the calculations were the elderly population estimated for the city of São Paulo as of mid-2000, obtained from the demographic censuses of 1991 and 2000, and deaths in the elderly population, obtained from the State Data Analysis System Foundation (Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados, or SEADE) of the state of São Paulo. The prevalences of functional disability and of functional dependence were calculated based on data concerning activities of daily living collected in the city of São Paulo as part of a project called Health, Well-being, and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (the "SABE project"). The activities of daily living considered were: dressing, eating, bathing, using the bathroom, lying down on the bed and getting up from it, and walking across a room. Functional disability was defined as difficulty in performing one or more of the activities of daily living. Dependence was defined as the need for help in performing at least one of the activities of daily living. RESULTS: In 2000, 60-year-old men from the city of São Paulo could expect to live, on average, 17.6 years, of which 14.6 years (83%) would be free of functional disability. Women of the same age could expect to live 22.2 years, of which 16.4 years (74%) would be free of functional disability. Men would have a functional disability and be dependent on others for 1.6 years (9%), while the comparable period for women would be 2.5 years (11%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite their longer life expectancy, the women faced more years with functional disability. The number of years with functional disability and dependence was also higher for the women. Public policies should take into account the differing needs of elderly women and of elderly men as well as other specific characteristics of this older population.

Evolução da mortalidade infantil por causas evitáveis, Belo Horizonte, 1984-1998 / Trends in avoidable causes of infant mortality in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 1984 to 1998

OBJETIVO: Analisar a evolução da mortalidade infantil em região urbana com enfoque para o grupamento de causas evitáveis no período neonatal e pós-neonatal. MÉTODOS: O número de óbitos ocorridos na região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, MG, foi obtido do Sistema de Informações em Mortalidade do Ministério da Saúde (SIM-MS) e o número de nascidos vivos foi estimado a partir das estatísticas do registro civil da Fundação Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), com correção dos registros atrasados de nascimentos. Utilizou-se modelo de regressão linear simples para estimar a tendência temporal das taxas de mortalidade infantil e seus componentes. A significância estatística da inclinação das curvas de regressão foi considerada para o nível p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Foi observado decréscimo da taxa de mortalidade infantil de 48,5 para 22,1 por mil nascidos vivos em toda a região. Entretanto, a queda mais acentuada foi observada nos últimos quatro anos da série. O componente pós-neonatal foi o principal responsável pelo declínio tanto na capital como nos demais municípios que compõem a região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. CONCLUSÕES: Embora tenha sido observada para a região uma queda significativa da mortalidade infantil e particularmente da mortalidade pós-neonatal, esta última ainda se apresenta elevada em relação aos países desenvolvidos. As afecções perinatais e o grupamento diarréia-pneumonia-desnutrição representam importante potencial de redução. Discute-se o papel dos serviços de saúde na evitabilidade de tais óbitos.

[Trends in avoidable causes of infant mortality in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 1984 to 1998]. / Evolução da mortalidade infantil por causas evitáveis, Belo Horizonte, 1984-1998.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the infant mortality trend in a metropolitan area, from 1984 to 1998. The main focus was on avoidable causes of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality. METHODS: Sources of data were the Sistema de Informacoes em Mortalidade do Ministerio da Saude (SIM-MS) [Mortality Information System of the Ministry of Health] and Fundacao Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics Foundation] (official live birth and death records) for the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, in the State of Minas Gerais. A simple linear regression model was used to evaluate time-trends of mortality rates. Statistical significance of the inclination of the regression curves was considered for the p<0.05 level. RESULTS: During the 15 year period in question, the infant mortality rate declined from 48.5 to 22.1/1,000 live births. However, the most accentuated decrease was observed during the last four years of the study period. The post-neonatal group was greatly responsible for this decline both in the capital and in the other districts within the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. CONCLUSIONS: Although a significant decrease in the infant mortality rate has been observed, particularly in the post-neonatal mortality, it is still larger than the rates found in developed countries. Deaths due to perinatal morbidities as well as the group of causes represented by diarrhea-pneumonia-malnutrition still present an important potential for reduction. The authors discuss the role of the health services in improving the rates of these avoidable causes of infant mortality.