Mortalidade por raça/cor: evidências de desigualdades sociais em Vitória (ES), Brasil

Gender, race/skin colour and incidence of hypertension in ELSA-Brasil: an intersectional approach

OBJECTIVE

Race and gender inequities in the incidence of hypertension (HTN) are well documented; however, few empirical investigations looked into these associations, considering the synergies and heterogeneous experiences of intersectional gender and race/skin colour groups. This study investigated the association of intersectional identities defined by gender and race/skin colour with HTN incidence, and verified whether they are affected by educational level in adulthood.

DESIGN

We used the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) data to estimate the incidence of HTN between visits 1 (2008-2010) and 2 (2012-2014), in 8528 participants without hypertension at visit 1. HTN was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive drugs. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution and log link function were used to assess the associations.

RESULTS

The incidence of HTN was 43.4/1000 person-years, ranging from 30.5/1000 in White women to 59.4/1000 in Black men. After adjusting by age and family history of HTN, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) was higher in Black men (2.25; 95%CI: 1.65-3.08), Brown (Pardo) men (1.89; 95%CI: 1.59-2.25), Black women (1.85; 95%CI: 1.50-2.30), Brown (Parda) women (1.47; 95%CI: 1.31-1.67) and White men (1.76; 95%CI: 1.49-2.08), compared to White women. These associations were maintained even after considering socioeconomic, behavioural and health mediators in the model. No interaction was found between education level and intersectional identities in the IRRs observed.

CONCLUSION

By using an intersectional approach, we showed the complex relations between race/skin colour and gender inequities in the incidence of HTN, pointing not only that Black men have the highest risk of developing HTN, but also that the risk of HTN is greater in Black women than in White men, when compared to White women.

Burden of schistosomiasis-related mortality in Brazil: epidemiological patterns and spatial-temporal distribution, 2003-2018

OBJECTIVE

To characterise the epidemiological patterns and the spatial-temporal distribution of schistosomiasis-related mortality in Brazil from 2003 to 2018.

METHODS

A national population-based ecological study that used official data from the Mortality Information System. The data included all deaths recorded in Brazil from 2003 to 2018 in which schistosomiasis was mentioned in the death certificate as an underlying or associated cause of death (multiple causes). The municipalities of residence were used as units of geographic analysis, and standardised and smoothed mortality rates (per 100 000 inhabitants) were calculated using the local empirical Bayes method. Spatial autocorrelation was evaluated using global and local Moran indexes. To analyse the spatial dependence, the Getis-Ord G and Gi* statistics were used.

RESULTS

During the study period, 18 421 113 deaths were recorded in Brazil. Schistosomiasis was mentioned in 11 487 deaths (proportional mortality: 0.06%); for 8141 deaths (70.87%), it was listed as the underlying cause, and for 3346 deaths (29.13%), it was listed as an associated cause. The mean mortality rate was 0.38 deaths/100 000 inhabitants. Individuals ≥ 70 years of age (RR: 115.34, 95% CI: 68.56-194.03) and residents in the Northeast region (RR: 10.81, 95% CI: 5.95-19.66) presented higher risks related to schistosomiasis. Municipalities with high mortality rates were identified in all regions, and high-risk clusters were found in municipalities located in the Northeast and Southeast regions of the country.

CONCLUSIONS

Schistosomiasis remains an important cause of death in persistently endemic areas in Brazil, particularly in those with a high prevalence of the disease and a marked parasite load.

Tendência e desigualdade na completude da informação sobre raça/cor dos óbitos de idosos no Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade no Brasil, entre 2000 e 2015

A qualidade da informação sobre raça/cor é condição necessária para conhecer o impacto da desigualdade na mortalidade. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a tendência e a desigualdade na completude da raça/cor dos óbitos de idosos no Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) entre 2000 e 2015 no Brasil. Analisa-se a completude dessa variável por diferentes abrangências geográficas, a raça/cor mais afetada pela má completude e a associação entre a excelência do preenchimento da raça/cor com a territorialidade e a condição socioeconômica dos municípios. Os dados dos óbitos de idosos provêm do SIM, e as informações de população, dos Censos e estimativas do Ministério da Saúde. Estima-se a variação percentual da proporção da incompletude. A variação percentual de pretos/pardos foi estimada entre 2000 e 2010 para o SIM e Censos. Estima-se regressão logística simples e ajustada (IC95%), tendo, como desfecho excelente, completude da raça/cor e, como resposta, variáveis territoriais e socioeconômicas. Encontrou-se acentuada melhora da qualidade do preenchimento no período, especialmente até 2006, sendo excelente a média nacional desde 2007. Nota-se desigualdade territorial em nível municipal. Municípios de IDH baixo/médio, com alta proporção de pobreza e desigualdade tiveram menor chance de ter excelente completude. O modelo ajustado mostra que a região e o tamanho do município são as características que explicam a excelente qualidade da variável raça/cor. Municípios do Nordeste e de pequeno porte têm menos chance de excelente completude. Conclui-se que raça/cor no SIM tem qualidade para ser utilizada nos estudos de desigualdade da mortalidade dos idosos, salvo exceções em nível municipal.

Factors associated with unspecified and ill-defined causes of death in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, from 2006 to 2012

This study aimed to investigate factors associated with unspecified and ill-defined causes of death in the State of Amazonas (AM), Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study on 90,439 non-fetal deaths of residents in AM from 2006 to 2012. The hierarchical multinomial logistic model estimated odds ratios of unspecified and ill-defined causes of death. Ill-defined and unspecified causes of death proportional mortality was, respectively, 16.6% and 9.1%. Ill-defined causes showed a decreasing trend over the years, while unspecified causes only decreased in the last two years. Unspecified causes of death were associated with residence and death outside the capital, public roads, female gender, age group 10-49 years, brown skin color and when certified by forensic doctors. Ill-defined causes of death were associated with residence and occurrence outside capital, at home, ages 40 years and older, non-whites, not being single, low schooling, under medical care and when examiner was unknown. Ill-defined and unspecified cause mortality in the State of Amazonas decreased between 2006 and 2012 in AM and was associated with space and time, demographic and socioeconomic factors and medical care at the moment of death.

Mortality by skin color/race and urbanity of Brazilian cities

OBJECTIVE

The skin color/race and urbanity are structural determinants of health. The relationship between these variables produces structure of social stratification that defines inequalities in the experiences of life and death. Thus, this study describes the characteristics of the mortality indicators by skin color/race according level of urbanity and aggregation to the metropolitan region (MR) of 5565 cities in Brazil, controlling for gender and age.

DESIGN

Descriptive study which included the calculation of measures relating to 1,050,546 deaths in the year survey of 2010 by skin color/race White, Black, and Brown according to both sexes, for five age groups and three levels of urbanity of cities in Brazil that were aggregated or not to the MR in the year of study. The risk of death was estimated by calculating premature mortality rate (PMR) at 65 years of age, per 100,000 and age adjusted.

RESULTS

The structure of mortality by skin color/race Black and Brown reflects worse levels of health and excessive premature deaths, with worse situation for men. The Whites, especially women, tend to live longer and in better health than other racial groups. The age-adjusted PMR indicates distinct risk of death by skin color/race, this risk was higher in men than in women and in Blacks than in other racial groups of both sexes. There have been precarious levels of health in the urban space and the MR has intensified these inequalities.

CONCLUSIONS

The research pointed out that the racial inequality in the mortality was characterized by interaction of race with other individual and contextual determinants of health. Those Blacks and Browns are the groups most vulnerable to the iniquities associated with occurrence of death, but these differences in the profile and the risk of death depend on the level of urbanity and aggregation MR of Brazilian cities in 2010.

Factors associated with mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE

to investigate the factors associated with mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in a cardiovascular referral hospital in Santa Catarina.

METHOD

quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and retrospective study. The medical records of 1447 patients, from 2005 to 2013, were analyzed for statistically related variables, these being: profile, hospitalization diagnosis, risk factors for coronary artery disease, complications recorded during the hospitalization, length of hospitalization and cause of death.

RESULTS

the mortality rate was 5.3% during the study period. Death was more common in females and those of black skin color, with a mean age of 65 years. Acute myocardial infarction was the most common hospitalization diagnosis. The majority of the complications recorded during hospitalization were characterized by changes in the cardiovascular system, with longer hospitalization periods being directly related to death from septic shock.

CONCLUSION

the data provide subsidies for nursing work with preventive measures and early detection of complications associated with coronary artery bypass grafting. This reinforces the importance of using the data as quality indicators, aiming to guarantee care guided by reliable information to guide managers in planning patient care and high complexity health services.

Perception of primary care doctors and nurses about care provided to sickle cell disease patients

Objective

To analyze the perception of primary care physicians and nurses about access to services and routine health care provided to sickle cell disease patients.

Methods

This descriptive exploratory study took a qualitative approach by surveying thirteen primary care health professionals who participated in a focus group to discuss access to services and assistance provided to sickle cell disease patients. The data were submitted to thematic content analysis.

Results

Access to primary care services and routine care for sickle cell disease patients were the categories that emerged from the analysis. Interaction between people with sickle cell disease and primary care health clinics was found to be minimal and limited mainly to scheduling appointments. Patients sought care from the primary care health clinics only in some situations, such as for pain episodes and vaccinations. The professionals noted that patients do not recognize primary care as the gateway to the system, and reported that they feel unprepared to assist sickle cell disease patients.

Conclusion

In the perception of these professionals, there are restrictions to accessing primary care health clinics and the primary care assistance for sickle cell disease patients is affected.

Health-related and socio-demographic factors associated with frailty in the elderly: a systematic literature review

Frailty is a syndrome that leads to practical harm in the lives of elders, since it is related to increased risk of dependency, falls, hospitalization, institutionalization, and death. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the socio-demographic, psycho-behavioral, health-related, nutritional, and lifestyle factors associated with frailty in the elderly. A total of 4,183 studies published from 2001 to 2013 were detected in the databases, and 182 complete articles were selected. After a comprehensive reading and application of selection criteria, 35 eligible articles remained for analysis. The main factors associated with frailty were: age, female gender, black race/color, schooling, income, cardiovascular diseases, number of comorbidities/diseases, functional incapacity, poor self-rated health, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol use. Knowledge of the complexity of determinants of frailty can assist the formulation of measures for prevention and early intervention, thereby contributing to better quality of life for the elderly.