The Socioeconomic Factors and the Indigenous Component of Tuberculosis in Amazonas

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 30;11(6):e0158574. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158574. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Despite the availability of tuberculosis prevention and control services throughout Amazonas, high rates of morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis remain in the region. Knowledge of the social determinants of tuberculosis in Amazonas is important for the establishment of public policies and the planning of effective preventive and control measures for the disease. To analyze the relationship of the spatial distribution of the incidence of tuberculosis in municipalities and regions of Amazonas to the socioeconomic factors and indigenous tuberculosis component, from 2007 to 2013. An ecological study was conducted based on secondary data from the epidemiological surveillance of tuberculosis. A linear regression model was used to analyze the relationship of the annual incidence of tuberculosis to the socioeconomic factors, performance indicators of health services, and indigenous tuberculosis component. The distribution of the incidence of tuberculosis in the municipalities of Amazonas was positively associated with the Gini index and the population attributable fraction of tuberculosis in the indigenous peoples, but negatively associated with the proportion of the poor and the unemployment rate. The spatial distribution of tuberculosis in the different regions of Amazonas was heterogeneous and closely related with the socioeconomic factors and indigenous component of tuberculosis.

MeSH terms

  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Indians, South American*
  • Population Groups
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Tuberculosis / ethnology*
  • Unemployment

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Government of the State of Amazonas, through the Research Foundation of the State of Amazonas, by providing scholarships. DBC is a fellow of the RH-PhD program from the Research Foundation for the State of Amazonas–FAPEAM. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.