Regional inequalities in Brazil and new approaches to measuring population aging

Bibliographic Data

ID21429973
AuthorsAnderson Gonçalves (0000-0003-3190-9674, Centro Universitário Padre Anchieta), Luís C Alves (0000-0002-8598-4875, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP))
Year2026
Volume42
Pagese00217725-e00217725
Publication date2026-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCadernos de Saude Publica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0102-311X • E-ISSN: 1678-4464
PublisherFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/0102-311xen217725
PMID42385010
OpenAlexW7166140078
SciELOS0102-311X2026000105055
LanguageEN
References cited16

This study aims to measure and analyze population aging in Brazil by combining chronological age and characteristics of population subgroups according to geographic region and sex. Using these indicators, the study advances the application of the relative age concept based on a physiological indicator related to the aging process. The data analyzed were drawn from the 2015 Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. Variables analyzed included age, sex, region of residence (North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast, and South), handgrip strength, and body mass index. The results indicate that individuals in the North and Northeast experience faster functional aging according to relative age estimates based on handgrip strength. Among women in these regions, the gap between relative and chronological age reaches up to 9.3 years. These findings highlight regional inequalities in aging and support the use of relative age as a composite indicator for monitoring and planning health policies

Age groups · Healthy aging · Inequality · Population · Population ageing · Residence · Health disparities and outcomes · Health, Nursing, Elderly Care · Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare

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Open DOIOpen Access