Social inequalities among Brazilian older adults: a secondary cross-sectional analysis of a national survey

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate sociodemographic and economic differences among Brazilian older adults according to region. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted with individuals ≥ 60 years of age based on a secondary analysis of public data from a nationally representative survey called the Family Budget Survey. The data were separated according to the 5 regions of the country and were associated with sociodemographic and economic characteristics. Analyses were performed of categorical and numerical variables and their associations using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Among all participants in the Family Budget Survey, 26 199 (15%) were older adults. It was found that the southeast and south had better living conditions and higher proportions of older adults. Regarding race, the southern region had the highest proportion of self-declared Whites, the southeastern region had the highest mean education level, and the northern and northeastern regions had the lowest levels of education and household income. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the aging process is heterogeneous due to marked regional inequalities, which are related to social issues. Regional differences can be determinant in socioeconomic and demographic inequalities among the older population.