[Risk factors for mortality among elderly people].
OBJECTIVE
The risk factors for diseases and premature deaths are important in drawing up preventive measures. This study had the aim of analyzing the risk factors for death among elderly people.


METHODS
This study was carried out among participants in the SABE (Health, Wellbeing and Aging) study, in the city of São Paulo in 2000. Interviews were conducted with 2,143 elderly people (60 years old or over), using a standardized questionnaire for the SABE study. The sample was obtained from census tracts, in two stages, with replacements and with probability proportional to the population, and with supplementation of the sample of people aged 75 years or over. The final data were weighted so that they could be expanded. Between the two data collection times, there were 38 deaths which comprised study sample. Logistic regression was utilized for the data analysis, with a significance level of 5%.


RESULTS
The risk factors found were: locomotion difficulty, advanced age, male gender, self-assessment of health as "bad" and difficulty in going to the bathroom, OR=3.15; 2.93; 2.90; 2.69 and 2.51, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results may contribute towards the adoption of preventive measures for elderly people, with the aim of diminishing the expected number of fatal outcomes.
Maia
Flávia de O M
Fde O
Hospital Universitário, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. flaviamaia@hu.usp.br
Duarte
Yeda A O
YA
Lebrão
Maria Lúcia
ML
Santos
Jair L F
JL
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000401:mortality; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D012737:Sex Factors