[Mortality pattern of Jewish community of Belo Horizonte in the 20th century].

OBJECTIVE: Genetic and environmental factors are known for their importance in the genesis of the majority of diseases. It is possible to study them through the observation of prevalence of diseases, and also the mortality causes, relating it to social habits and ethnic and familial origins of the individuals. In those studies, communities in which there are social and genetic links stand out. The Jewish community of Belo Horizonte fits these criteria. It has been consolidated in the 20th decade of the last century. Nowadays the Federação Israelita de Minas Gerais (FISEMG) has records of approximately 600 families. The purpose of this study is to define the mortality pattern in this community, and how it has changed since the community's formation.

METHODS: Data was recovered from the files of the Instituto Histórico Israelita Mineiro, the FISEMG and from the cemeteries Israelita and Bonfim.

RESULTS: 601 death registries have been studied, 61,6% belonging to men and 38,4% to women. The diseases of the circulatory system were the most frequent cause of death since the '40s, and infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, deserve note in the '30s and '40s.

CONCLUSION: There was a change in death pattern of the Jewish community of Belo Horizonte.