Schnyder, Zoé Maria (2024) Differences in mortality patterns and geographical distribution among international travellers and Brazil’s local population, 2017-2021. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Background: International travellers face distinct health risks compared to local populations. This study aims to compare the causes of death between international travellers and the local population in Brazil, focusing on demographic characteristics and regional disparities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Brazilian government’s death certificates registry. Data included all residents and non-residents who died in Brazil between January 2017 and December 2021. International travellers were defined as non- Brazilians and non-residents, and direct cause of death was classified into non-communicable diseases (NCDs), communicable diseases, injuries and ill-defined diseases based on ICD-10 coding. Results: This analyses included mortality data of 2.127 international travellers and 7.368.656 local Brazilians. Travellers died at a younger age (49 vs 70) and were more often reported as male (67%). NCDs were the leading cause of death in both travellers and the local population. Injury-related deaths were twice as common in travellers (21% vs 10%) and deaths due to communicable diseases were more common in travellers (28% vs 20%). Injuryrelated deaths were most common in males and young adults aged 19-29 years. Traveller mortality was highest in border regions such as Roraima and Mato Grosso do Sul. More than 75% of the deaths in these border regions involved Venezuelan and Paraguayan citizens, driven largely by perinatal fatalities. Conclusions: Injuries and communicable disease-related deaths occur in a greater proportion among international travellers, underscoring the importance of pre-travel risk reduction strategies. High mortality in border regions suggest a Complex Humanitarian Emergency, calling for urgent research in areas such as Roraima and Mato Grosso do Sul to guide targeted health interventions and reduce mortality risks.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Smoll, Dr. Nicolas Smoll and Martin, Dr. Beatris Mario |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Dec 2025 13:19 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Dec 2025 13:19 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3871 |
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