Condicionantes da mortalidade na população com 60 anos ou mais no Rio Grande do Sul : uma análise regionalizada.

Abstract

This study involves the analysis of mortality rates among people who are 60 years and older, in counties with different socio-economic indicators. The objective is to identify the mortality rates of this population in Rio Grande do Sul, and among regions inside it. The national division chosen to be presented for analysis was formed by the mesoregions of IBGE, which divide Rio Grande do Sul State in seven mesoregions. Another objective of this study was to estimate the reasons for mortality of this population, more specifically, to verify the relation between mortality, in different age groups among elderly people, with the amount of public investments on health controlling by socio-economic characteristics. The elderly population was divided in three age groups; from 60 to 69, from 70 to 79, and the group of 80 years old and older. The mortality rates (dependent variable) were compared by age groups in RS, and after in each one of the mesoregions. The effects of the public investments on health in the form of transferences by each inhabitant in the total number of death of people with 60 years old an older, were also estimated, and separately by age groups in the elderly population controlling by Gross National Product per capita , by the IDHM, and by the urbanization rate (independent variables). In this study the descriptive and explicative methods were applied, secondary quantitative data were used having Brazilian Census Bureau data set (IBGE, 2000), the Foundation of Economy and Statistics (FEE, 2000) dataset, and data from The Public Health System data set (DATASUS, 2000). The research unit of analysis is formed by the 467 counties of RS in the year 2000. In this way, when data were analyzed, it was verified that RS, despite being the state with the highest lifespan expectation on birth in Brazil, presents considerable differences among its regions. We verify that those regions with low socioeconomic indicators have higher elderly mortality rates, in their youngest age groups, than those with high socio-economic indicators. Another conclusion is that public investments on health applied in the counties by Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) contribute to reduce elederly mortality rates, in the youngest age groups, in regions with high socio-economic indicators.