Socioeconomic inequality and health status among the Brazilian Elderly, 1998 and 2008

Luciana C. Alves, University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
Natália Arruda, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

The aim was to present and compare estimates of life expectancy with and without a specific chronic disease among older adult population in Brazil, by sex, and socioeconomic factors for the years 1998 and 2008. Life expectancy with and without hypertension, diabetes, bronchitis/asthma, heart disease was calculated using the Sullivan method and prevalence estimates from data collection at two points from the Brazilian National Household Survey (PNAD). Results indicate that for all chronic diseases there was an increase in mean survival with the disease between the two periods analyzed and all socioeconomic levels. Hypertension was the chronic disease that has caused the greatest influences. Education has showed to be the most important socioeconomic determinant. Higher education increased the average healthy time and shorter survival average years of life with the disease. The socioeconomic inequality affects more negatively the health of the women than men. Despite the social changes in Brazil in recent decades with a reduction in inequality and poverty, it is evident the effect of socioeconomic inequality in the country in the health status of the elderly.