Differences between activities profiles executed by the police officers in Brazil as a determinant factor for higher rate mortality

Abstract

The association between police occupation and deaths has not been well studied. Here, we evaluate the mortality rate and the Years of Life Lost (YLL) within two police corporations in the Brazilian Federal District (BFD). Mortality data were collected from the personnel divisions of both police institutions – Civil (CPBFD) and Military (MPBFD) – between 2004 and 2013 related to professionals who died, comparing with the mortality data of the BFD population; chi-square independence tests were analyzed and statistical tests applied assuming a 5% significance level. Mostly of the deaths occurred among retired police officers (p<0.001) in the MPBFD, whilst active being 2.5 times greater than in the CPBFD; the average of YLL within the MPBFD is the largest (24.4), followed by the BFD (22.3) and the CPBFD (18.2). The MP is responsible for ostensive policing, with a greater exposure to traumatic events; the CP is involved with crime investigations, dealing with documents. Depending of the activities executed, police officer may be considered an unsafe occupation, being the mortality and the YLL greater than the general population. The results suggest the need for further studies which address the morbidity and mortality of the police officers.

Keywords: Police officers, occupational mortality, years of life lost