Effects of macroeconomic conditions on health in Brazil.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health in Brazil.

Methods: The analysis of the impact of employment and income on mortality in Brazil was based on panel data from Brazilian states between 1981 and 2002. Mortality rates obtained from the national mortality database was used as a proxy for health status, whereas the variables employment, income, and illiteracy rates were used as proxies for macroeconomic and socioeconomic conditions.