Epidemiological Transition of Digestive Tract Diseases in Brazil from 2001 to 2023

Abstract

Introduction: The epidemiological transition is characterized by the shift in disease patterns over time, from a predominance of infectious diseases to a predominance of non-communicable chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological transition of digestive diseases in Brazil over the past two decades and the regional differences in this transition. Methods: This is a temporal ecological study using data from the Mortality Information System (SIM). The analysis included Brazil as a whole and its five regions during the period from 2001 to 2023. The study sample comprised deaths from infectious diseases, non-infectious diseases, and neoplasms, all related to the digestive tract. Results: A statistically significant association (p<0.01) was found between the mortality rate trends of infectious digestive diseases and non-infectious digestive diseases/digestive neoplasms. The Pearson correlation was moderate and negative for the association between infectious and non-infectious digestive diseases (-0.616) and between infectious digestive diseases and digestive neoplasms (-0.696), indicating that the epidemiological shift is indeed occurring, with an increase in deaths from chronic diseases and a decrease in deaths from infectious diseases. However, this transition is slower in the North and Northeast regions, where mortality rates for infectious digestive diseases remain high. Conclusion: The regional differences in the evolution of infectious, non-infectious, and neoplastic digestive diseases indicate the need for public health policies to be adapted to the specific health needs of each region of the country.