[Differential mortality between metropolitan areas of Brazil, 1985-1995].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze differential changes of rates and stratification of mortality by gender and causes of death in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (RMBH) and Salvador (RMS) between 1985 and 1995.


METHODS
The Ministry of Health's Mortality Information System (SIM) provides data on death causes by age and sex that was used for this study. The groups of death causes were classified according to two major groups (preventable and non-preventable) and the decomposition method presented by Pollard was applied to analyze the contribution of each group of death causes in the changes in life expectation.


RESULTS
There have been changes in the pace of the current mortality rate decline in RMBH and RMS, which have resulted in a reduction in the differences between the mortality rates in both areas. In both areas there was a substantial reduction in the mortality rates in the group of preventable causes, especially among women.


CONCLUSIONS
There is still a structure of death causes, which seems to indicate that the improvement in mortality among the poor has been lower than it was expected.
de Abreu
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DM
Núcleo de Estudos em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. dmxa@medicina.ufmg.br
Rodrigues
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RN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data