GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MORTALITY DUE TO FRAILTY IN BRAZIL BETWEEN 2010 AND 2022

The present study aimed to investigate mortality with frailty as the underlying cause of death in Brazil between 2010 and 2022. Additionally, it seeks to assess gender differences in mortality. Data comes from the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS) obtained through the Mortality Information System (SIM). Deaths were classified by year, sex, age, place of residence, and frailty as the underlying cause of death, according to the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The dataset covers the period from 2010 to 2022. It was estimated that the proportions of deaths due to frailty and the proportions of deaths for all four categories of frailty: Dementia, amnesia, mental and behavioral disorders, cognitive functions and awareness (DAMB_CF_A). Malnutrition and Cachexia (MC). Mobility, Incontinence, Fatigue, and Physical debility (MFPD), and Pressure Ulcer (PU). The results showed that the proportion of deaths attributable to frailty increases with age for both sexes, particularly after age 70. The pattern remains relatively similar up to age 80 across all years; however, men exhibit proportionally higher mortality than women up to that age. Men die more frequently from MIFPD and PU, while women show higher mortality from MC. The mortality pattern for DAMB_CF_A is similar between men and women.