Mortes precoces, os anos potenciasi de vida perdidos no Brasil

Abstract

Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) is a key indicator for understanding premature mortality, widely used in epidemiological and actuarial studies to support public policy formulation and forecast insurance and pension risks. This study investigates the factors that exert the greatest influence on Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) in Brazil between 2003 and 2023, with a focus on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodological analysis involved the extraction, processing, and cleaning of data from the Mortality Information System (SIM), highlighting challenges related to data quality, such as inconsistencies in age coding and underreporting. Improving the accuracy of this information is essential for developing more effective public policies to reduce premature mortality. Data analysis revealed that, despite the increase in the number of deaths during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, PYLL remained relatively stable in non-pandemic periods. The main influencing factors of premature mortality include external causes such as homicides and traffic accidents, as well as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases. Despite the significant impact of COVID-19, it accounted for only 6.08% of the total PYLL over the analyzed period. A concerning trend was observed in the rise of suicides, particularly by hanging, which increased by 111% during the study period. This growth underscores the importance of mental health policies and suicide prevention efforts. Other factors, such as alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorders, also showed an increase, reinforcing the need for public interventions targeting these issues. It is concluded that while the COVID-19 pandemic represented a temporary impact on PYLL, factors such as violence, chronic diseases, and mental health problems remain the main challenges in reducing PYLL in Brazil.