Higher risks for black women in Paraná-Brazil

Abstract

The knowledge about the Maternal Mortality Ratio is essential to the planning and management of health actions at any level. This indicator can be obtained through the analysis of death certificates and, if possible, through the investigation of the main cause of death of every woman within fertility age. Our findings allow us to conclude that, among the maternal deaths identified by race in Paraná, 17.9% occurred among black women, who corresponded to 21.8% of the total of women in the state in 1991.
Among all black women, although only 2.2% were pretas, they represented 8.2% of all maternal deaths, which means that a preta has a 7 times higher risk of dying because of maternal causes than other women. Asian women presented better socio-economic and demographic conditions than white women and pretas (the latter with the worst indicators); however, the risk of death of both – Asians and pretas – was very high, suggesting that there might be a relation among race, disease, living conditions and maternal mortality. Therefore, a more profound study of the matter is necessary.