Primary care physicians and infant mortality: Evidence from Brazil

PLoS One. 2019 May 31;14(5):e0217614. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217614. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Primary health care has been recognized as a critical strategy for improving population health in developing countries. This paper investigates the effect of primary care physicians on the infant mortality rate in Brazil using a dynamic panel data approach. This method accounts for the endogeneity problem and the persistence of infant mortality over time. The empirical analysis uses an eight-year panel of municipalities between 2005 and 2012. The results indicate that primary care physician supply contributed to the decline of infant mortality in Brazil. An increase of one primary care physician per 10,000 population was associated with 7.08 fewer infant deaths per 10,000 live births. This suggests that, in addition to other determinants, primary care physicians can play an important role in accounting for the reduction of infant mortality rates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Developing Countries
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Mortality*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Live Birth
  • Physicians, Primary Care*
  • Pregnancy
  • Primary Health Care / trends*
  • Risk Factors
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

Funded by Coordination of Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES), Ministry of Education of Brazil.