[Occupation and mortality in the Brazilian Navy]

To describe the distribution of mortality due to digestive tract, genitourinary and nervous system diseases according to occupation among Brazilian Navy servicemen.

This was an exploratory study of proportional mortality among male servicemen in the Brazilian Navy who died between 1991 and 1995. The study population comprises the entire contingent of servicemen during this same time period. Data were obtained from death certificates submitted in order to obtain dependents' pensions, and from the corresponding occupational histories of these individuals. Basic causes of death were coded in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases (9th Revision).

Servicemen presented increased proportional mortality for liver diseases related to alcohol consumption (age-adjusted proportional mortality ratio, PMRadj=2.03; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.26-3.00), pancreatitis (PMRadj=2.03; 95% CI: 1.06-3.38), digestive hemorrhage (PMRadj=1.61; 95% CI: 1.10-2.23), chronic kidney diseases (PMRadj=2.82; 95% CI: 1.98-3.84), Parkinson's disease (PMRadj=3.00; 95% CI: 1.27-5.72) and degenerative brain diseases (PMRadj=2.88; 95% CI: 1.14-5.70), in relation to the reference population. A statistically non-significant association was observed between radar operators (PMR=6.50; 95% CI: 1.43-29.56) and nervous system diseases was observed.

The results indicate the existence of possible occupational risk factors in the working environment of the Brazilian Navy, and the need for studies using quantitative measurement of such exposure.