Mortality differentials according to schooling in Brazilian adults in 2010

Abstract

This study aims to estimate mortality differentials by level of schooling in the adult population in Brazil as a whole and its major geographic regions, according to sex and age. The article uses data from the item on household mortality in the 2010 Population Census conducted by Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, combined with information on schooling of the household’s reference person. The results show an important mortality differential by level of schooling, especially in males. Life expectancy in Brazilian men with a complete university education is 4.37 years more than the mean for the national male population and 6.27 years more than for males with less than a complete primary education. Among women, the educational gradient in life expectancy is less pronounced, with an additional 2.25 years for women with a complete university education, compared to women with less schooling. Mortality differentials according to schooling are more pronounced in the Northeast and Southeast regions.