Health inequalities based on ethnicity in individuals aged 15 to 64, Brazil, 1998

This study aimed to analyze inequalities in health status and utilization of medical consultations and hospital services by Brazilian young and adult populations according to ethnicity. The survey analyzes a representative sample of the Brazilian population aged 15 to 64 years, except those living in the rural area of the Amazon. The prevalence of fair or poor health status was substantially higher among black men, white women, and black women. The influence of gender and ethnicity remains significant after adjusting for age and socioeconomic conditions (OR =1.11; 1.49 and 1.86 respectively). Differences between blacks and whites decrease with age, but increase with socioeconomic status. There were 10% more medical consultations among white individuals. The differences were more striking among young people who reported good health status. For individuals with fair or poor health, no differences were observed in frequency of medical consultations between blacks and whites. There were no significant differences in hospitalization rates. With regard to health status, differences between blacks and whites were striking. However the same was not true for utilization of health services.