Trends in incidence and mortality due to occupational accidents in Brazil, 1998-2008

The objective was to evaluate trends in incidence and mortality due to occupational accidents in Brazil from 1998 to 2008. This was a time-trend series study that included cases of occupational accidents recorded in official Federal government statistics. The authors calculated annual percentage changes (APC) in incidence and mortality rates with the Joinpoint method using the calendar year as a regressor variable. There was a significant downward trend in incidence rates of occupational accidents, and the same trend was observed in typical occupational accidents. However, the number of cases increased during this period. There was a statistically significant upward trend in the incidence and number of cases of commuting accidents. The number of deaths and mortality rates showed a downward trend. Several factors may have contributed to the decline in incidence and mortality rates for occupational accidents, including improvement in working conditions, a shift in the economy from industry to services, underreporting of occupational accidents, and outsourcing of services. The increase in commuting accidents suggests the influence of violence in urban areas.