Oliveira Elizabete Regina Araújo, Cade Nágela Valadão, Velten Ana Paula Costa, Silva Gulnar Azevedo E, Faerstein Eduardo
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, São Mateus, ES, Brazil.
Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2016 Mar;19(1):112-21. doi: 10.1590/1980-5497201600010010.
Populations with healthier habits have been investigated regarding their pattern of disease occurrence.
This study aims at evaluating mortality patterns (all-cause, cardiovascular diseases) among members of the Seventh-day Adventists Church in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, and to compare those with the mortality rates in the State population.
The study investigated 14.519 living Adventists and 995 deaths among those aged ≥ 30 years old from 2003 to 2009. A total of 896 deaths were confirmed by the Mortality Information System of the Ministry of Health. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated utilizing the indirect method, with the state population ≥ 30 years old as the standard population.
Adventists presented all-cause mortality rate 42.5% lower than the Espírito Santo population (SMR = 57.5; 95%CI 47.8 - 68.2), 52.2% lower by ischemic heart disease (SMR = 48; 95%CI 25.02 - 82,75) and 46.3% less by stroke (SMR = 54; 95%CI 30.4 - 87.8).
The Adventists' healthier lifestyle in relation to diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption may have influenced their lower mortality rates.