Avanços e retrocessos na expectativa de vida ao nascer, por sexo no Rio Grande do Norte e mesorregiões: análise de mudanças nas taxas de mortalidade antes, durante e após a pandemia

Abstract

The present final project aims to analyze the impact of changes in mortality rates by age and sex on life expectancy at birth in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and its mesoregions: Oeste Potiguar, Central Potiguar, Agreste Potiguar, and Leste Potiguar, for the period from 2000, 2010, and 2019 to 2023, distributed across periods before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and after the pandemic. In this context, it is important to detail that the Covid-19 pandemic began in Brazil in March 2020, which is directly related to the age group of the population, causing greater mortality risks for adults, the elderly, and individuals with comorbidities. Changes in mortality by age and sex generate shifts that can impact life expectancy at birth. The results indicate that, in the periods before the pandemic, increases in life expectancy were more associated with decreases in mortality at younger ages. During the pandemic, there were stagnations or regressions in life expectancy in the analyzed regions. It was observed that regional mortality differences in Rio Grande do Norte have been associated with regional and socioeconomic inequalities. However, the greatest setbacks in life expectancy at birth are more pronounced in poorer areas.