The methodology of Chiang for the construction of the Decrement of Multiple Life Tables as applied to the resident population of the municipality of Recife, PE, Brazil, in 1979, is presented so as to evaluate the magnitude of the incidence of some groups of causes of death, according to the probability of death, survival and life expectancy. The average life for men was 55.43 years and for women 62.41 years. The total elimination of the groups of causes, as agents of the risk of death created the following gains in life expectancy, for men and women respectively: infection and parasitic diseases (7.9 and 8.1 years), malignant neoplasms (6.0 and 6.6 years), cardiovascular diseases (10.4 and 10.8 years), respiratory diseases (6.5 and 6.7 years) and external causes (7.0 and 5.2 years). It is concluded that the standard of health of the municipality of Recife showed, in 1979, a social and economical picture that was not homogenous, with a high mortality rate due to degenerative diseases characteristic of developing regions, and also of death caused by infection and parasitic diseases common to little-developed regions.
Mortality; Life table; Competing risks; Life expectancy