Mortality differences between men and women: South of Minas Gerais, in 2002 and 2012

The objective of this paper is to analyze the differential mortality between sexes, in the southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2002 and 2012. Mortality data and information on population were collected at the website of the Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). To measure the difference in mortality between the sexes were analyzed the sex ratio between specific mortality rates, the gap in life expectancy at birth and the contribution of different ages in the hiatus in life expectancy at birth. In addition, it was investigated the main causes of death by sex, which affect the general population and in each age group. The results show that while life expectancy at birth increases, the gap in life expectancy has decreased. Furthermore, despite high sex ratio between specific mortality rates of young, the elderly are the main responsible for increases in mortality differentials. Moreover, the main causes of death in the region are Cardiovascular diseases, cancer and respiratory diseases, which affects more intensely the elderly. In general, characteristics of an aging population and in advanced stages of epidemiological transition are already observed in the region.