Page 70 - IJPS-3-1

International Journal of Population Studies

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Socioeconomic differentials and

disease-free life expectancy of the

elderly in Brazil

1*
2
Luciana Correia Alves and Natália Martins Arruda
1 Department of Demography, Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences, Population
Studies Center Elza Berquó – NEPO, University of Campinas — Unicamp, Cidade
Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Av. Albert Einstein, Campinas – SP, Brazil
2 Institute of Economics, University of Campinas — Unicamp, Cidade Universitária
Zeferino Vaz – Barão Geraldo, Campinas – SP, Brazil

Abstract: The objective of this study was to estimate life expectancy with and
without a specific chronic disease among the Brazilian elderly population, by sex and
socioeconomic factors, for the years 1998 and 2008. Life expectancy with and without
hypertension, diabetes, bronchitis/asthma, and heart disease were calculated using the
Sullivan method and prevalence estimates from data collected in the two years through
the Brazilian National Household Survey (PNAD). Hypertension was the chronic
disease with the largest effect on life expectancy. Among socioeconomic determinants,
education proved more relevant than income. Having more years of education
increased the average healthy time. Socioeconomic inequality negatively affected the
health of women more than men. Despite the social changes in Brazil in recent decades
ARTICLE INFO with a reduction in inequality and poverty, the effect of socioeconomic inequality in
Received: October 12, 2016 the country on the health status of the elderly remains evident.
Accepted: November 28, 2016
Published Online: December 6, Keywords: life expectancy; health of the elderly; health inequalities; socioeconomic
2016
*CORRESPONDING AUTHOR factors; Brazil
Luciana Correia Alves, Department
of Demography at the Institute of
Philosophy and Human Sciences, 1 Introduction
Population Studies Center Elza
Berquó — NEPO, University of Since the last decades of the past century, Brazil has witnessed a rapid and accentuated
Campinas — Unicamp, Cidade
Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Av. decline in its fertility rates, an unprecedented phenomenon in the country’s history,
Albert Einstein, 1300 — Sala 24,
13081-970, Campinas – SP, Brazil and which stands out even in comparison with other countries, both in the developed
luciana@nepo.unicamp.br world and among emerging countries. As what has happened in the majority of these
countries, this decline, in conjunction with the fall in mortality rates, has resulted in
CITATION population aging processes and higher longevity in the population.
Alves LC and Arruda NM (2017).
Socioeconomic differentials and Mortality in Brazil declined significantly from 1940 until the 1970s. This reduction
disease-free life expectancy of in Brazilian mortality levels was much more rapid than that experienced by developed
the elderly in Brazil. International
Journal of Population Studies, countries and its evolution over time has caused huge gains in the life expectancy
3(1): 64–78. of the population (Carvalho and Garcia, 2003). Life expectancy increased by 30
doi: 10.18063/IJPS.2017.01.001.
years between 1940 and 2000, from 37.6 to 64.8 years among men and from 39.4
Copyright: © 2017 Alves LC to 72.6 years among women. The results of the Brazilian Demographic Census in
and Arruda NM. This is an Open 2010 indicate that life expectancy reached 73.48 years (IBGE, 2010). The process of
Access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Com - demographic and epidemiologic transition has led to a greater prevalence of chronic
mons Attribution-Non Commercial
4.0 Inter national License (http:// degenerative diseases, which are the main causes of mortality and an important health
creativecommons.org/licenses/ problem of the population worldwide (WHO, 2004), especially among the elderly.
by-nc/4.0/), permit ting all non-
commercial use, distribution, Like many middle-income countries, Brazil has experienced major demographic and
and reproduction in any medium, epidemiological changes. One major effect of these transitions has been an increase
provided the original work is
properly cited. in the prevalence of chronic diseases and non-communicable diseases, in particular
64 International Journal of Population Studies 2017, Volume 3, Issue 1