Mortality from occupational accidents in Brazil: temporal trend analysis, 2006-2015

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the temporal trend of mortality due to occupational accidents (OA) in Brazil from 2006 to 2015 and investigate inequalities related to gender, race/skin color, age group, education level, and macro-regions. Methods: ecological time series study conducted with data from the Mortality Information System (SIM) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Data were analyzed by Poisson regressions. Result: the average annual rate (AAR) for deaths due to OA remained relatively stable over the analyzed period (annual variation of up to 5%), but some groups and regions showed an upward trend. Mortality was significantly higher among women over 60 years old from the Midwest region (AAR: 1.21–95%CI: 1.03-1.42) and brown-skinned people from all regions (AAR: 1.03–95%CI: 1.02-1.04). In 2015, mortality from OA in the Northeast region was 88% higher among brown-skinned people (2.45/100,000) than among white people (1.30/100,000). In Brazil, mortality was 15 times higher among individuals with less than eight school years when compared to those with 12 school years or more (4.74/100,000 vs. 0.31/100,000). Conclusions: although stable, the mortality rate due to OA in Brazil is elevated when compared to high-income countries. These rates are even higher among some population groups (men, Blacks, brown-skinned, indigenous, and lower-educated people) and in certain regions of the country (North, Northeast, and Midwest).