Ethnicity and Health in Colombia: What Do Self-Perceived Health Indicators Tell Us?

MDRD is the eGFR equation most strongly associated with 4-year mortality among patients with diabetes in Colombia

INTRODUCTION

We compared the association of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated with the Cockcroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), or the new CKD-EPI without race (CKD-EPI-NR) equations, with 4-year all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We analyzed a nationwide, centralized database of all adults diagnosed with diabetes assisted by the Colombian Health System between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019. Plasma creatinine was used to calculate baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and classify each patient in a chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage, by each of the four equations. We used multivariate logistic regression to compare the association between CKD stage and mortality, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses to assess the overall association of eGFR by each equation and mortality.

RESULTS

The study included 758,219 patients (58% female, 7.2% black race, mean age 62.3, Glycated hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] 7.4%). There were 35,296 deaths over the study follow-up. Considering eGFR by each equation as a continuous variable, the odds of death decreased by 1.1%-1.5% for each additional mL/min. Compared with CKD stage 1 of each equation, being placed in CKD stages 3a, 3b, or 4 by MDRD or CKD-EPI-NR was associated with greater odds of death than being categorized in the same stages by CKD-EPI. Among patients of black race, the adjusted OR of mortality for CKD stage 4 relative to stage 1 was 4.63 (95% CI 3.39 to 6.35) for MDRD, 3.66 (2.85 to 4.69) for CKD-EPI-NR, 3.01 (2.38 to 3.81) for CKD-EPI, and 2.82 (2.29 to 3.49) for Cockcroft-Gault. The area under the ROC curve to discriminate by survival status was greatest for MDRD, followed by CKD-EPI-NR, CKD-EPI, and Cockcroft-Gault, in that order (p<0.001 for all differences).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with other eGFR equations, MDRD showed the strongest association with all-cause mortality in a sample of Latin-American patients with diabetes. This difference was most pronounced among patients of black race.

Ethnic-racial inequity in health insurance in Colombia: a cross-sectional study

Objective.

Characterize the relationship between ethnic-racial inequity and type of health insurance in Colombia.

Methods.

Cross-sectional study based on data from the 2019 Quality of Life Survey. We analyzed the type of health insurance (contributory, subsidized, or none) and its relationship to ethnic-racial status and predisposing variables (sex, age, marital status), demographic variables (area and region of residence), and socioeconomic variables (education, type of employment, income, and unmet basic needs) through simple and multivariate regression analyses. The association between ethnic-racial status and type of health insurance was estimated using odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals, through a multinomial logistic model.

Results.

A statistically significant association was found between ethnic-racial status and type of health insurance. In comparison with the contributory system, the probabilities of being a member of the subsidized system were 1.8 and 1.4 times greater in the indigenous population (OR x 1.891; 95%CI: 1.600-2.236) and people of African descent (OR = 1.415; 95%CI: 1.236-1.620), respectively (p <0.01) than in the population group that did not identify as belonging to one of those ethnic-racial groups.

Conclusions.

There is an association between ethnic-racial status and type of insurance in the contributory and subsidized health systems in Colombia. Ethnic-racial status is a structural component of inequity in access to health services and heightens the disadvantages of people and population groups with low socioeconomic status.

Dengue, Severity Paradox, and Socioeconomic Distribution Among Afro-Colombians

BACKGROUND

The clinical presentation of dengue ranges from self-limited mild illness to severe forms, including death. African ancestry is often described as protective against dengue severity. However, in the Latin American context, African ancestry has been associated with increased mortality. This "severity paradox" has been hypothesized as resulting from confounding or heterogeneity by socioeconomic status (SES). However, few systematic analyses have been conducted to investigate the presence and nature of the disparity paradox.

METHODS

We fit Bayesian hierarchical spatiotemporal models using individual-level surveillance data from Cali, Colombia (2012-2017), to assess the overall morbidity and severity burden of notified dengue. We fitted overall and ethnic-specific models to assess the presence of heterogeneity by SES across and within ethnic groups (Afro-Colombian vs. non-Afro-Colombians), conducting sensitivity analyses to account for potential underreporting.

RESULTS

Our study included 65,402 dengue cases and 13,732 (21%) hospitalizations. Overall notified dengue incidence rates did not vary across ethnic groups. Severity risk was higher among Afro-Colombians (risk ratio [RR] = 1.16; 95% Credible Interval [95% CrI] = 1.08, 1.24) but after accounting for underreporting by ethnicity this association was nearly null (RR = 1.02; 95% CrI = 0.97, 1.07). Subsidized health insurance and low-SES were associated with increased overall dengue rates and severity.

CONCLUSION

The paradoxically increased severity among Afro-Colombians can be attributed to differential health-seeking behaviors and reporting among Afro-Colombians. Such differential reporting can be understood as a type of intersectionality between SES, insurance scheme, and ethnicity that requires a quantitative assessment in future studies.

[Ethnic-racial inequity in health insurance in Colombia: a cross-sectional studyIniquidades étnico-raciais no seguro de saúde na Colômbia: um estudo transversal]

Objetivo.

Caracterizar la relación entre la inequidad por la condición étnico-racial y el tipo de aseguramiento de salud en Colombia.

Métodos.

Estudio de corte transversal basado en datos de la Encuesta de Calidad de Vida 2019. Se analizó el tipo de aseguramiento de salud (contributivo, subsidiado o ninguno) y su relación con la condición étnico-racial y variables predisponentes (sexo, edad, estado civil), demográficas (zona y región de residencia) y socioeconómicas (educación, tipo de empleo, ingresos y necesidades básicas insatisfechas) mediante análisis de regresión simple y multifactorial. La asociación entre la condición étnico-racial y el tipo de aseguramiento de salud fue estimada utilizando razones de posibilidades (OR) y sus intervalos de confianza de 95%, mediante un modelo logístico multinomial.

Resultados.

Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre la condición étnico-racial y el tipo de aseguramiento de salud. En comparación con el régimen contributivo, las probabilidades de estar afiliado al régimen subsidiado fueron 1,8 y 1,4 veces mayores en los indígenas (OR = 1,891; IC95%: 1,600-2,236) y afrodescendientes (OR = 1,415; IC95%: 1,236-1,620), respectivamente (p < 0,01), que el grupo de la población que no se reconoció como perteneciente a uno de esos grupos étnico-raciales.

Conclusiones.

Existe una asociación entre la condición étnico-racial y el tipo de aseguramiento en el régimen contributivo y subsidiado de salud en Colombia. La condición étnico-racial se manifiesta como un componente estructural de la inequidad en el acceso a los servicios de salud y profundiza las desventajas de las personas y grupos poblacionales con un bajo estatus socioeconómico.

Changing Home: Experiences of the Indigenous when Receiving Care in Hospital

OBJECTIVES

To understand the meaning of the experience of the indigenous when receiving care in a low-complexity hospital.

METHODS

Qualitative study with ethnographic approach conducted in a hospital of Antioquia, Colombia. The study had 12 indigenous participants who underwent semi-structured interviews. Observation was carried out in hospitalization wards, emergency, and outpatient services of the institution during 40 hours. The analysis process was performed descriptively. The methodological rigor was maintained by applying criteria of confirmability, credibility, transferability, and consistency. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee and authorized by the indigenous authorities to enter the field.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged: the context of caring for the indigenous, the need to consult the hospital, changes experienced by the indigenous in the hospital, experiences in relation with treatments, and relations established within the hospital. The meaning is constructed from a dichotomous perspective based on the favorable or unfavorable aspects of the situations and experiences, which for the indigenous is like "changing home".

CONCLUSIONS

The meaning of the experience of receiving care in hospital for the indigenous is constructed from the context in which they live and receive health services, the changes they live in the dimension of space by virtue of their traveling from their vital space to another space that, due to their physical characteristics, results strange and different, even not healing. Upon the difficulties, the indigenous develop strategies and actions to overcome limitations, whether through adaptation and learning.

Exploración del contexto y las necesidades de educación en salud en un grupo indígena uitoto en Bogotá

Introducción: Colombia es un país multiétnico y multilingüe con seis millones (14%) de habitantes que pertenecen a grupos étnicos minoritarios, por lo que la situación actual de las comunidades indígenas ha sido precaria por las limitantes de acceso a los planes de salud. Objetivo: realizar una exploración de la comunidad uitoto ubicada en la ciudad de Bogotá D.C., Colombia, del contexto y las necesidades de educación frente al cáncer del cuello uterino y la salud sexual y reproductiva. Materiales y métodos: estudio cualitativo de enfoque etnográfico (prueba piloto) en la comunidad uitoto con una observación participante, registrado en un diario de campo. Resultados: las personas de la comunidad uitoto manifiestan que muchos de sus integrantes no cuentan con un servicio de salud contributivo, sino subsidiado por condiciones de desplazamiento. Discusión: se reconoce la existencia latente de las barreras de salud en comunidades indígenas en estado de vulnerabilidad en las áreas urbanas. Conclusión: se destaca la importancia de integrar en la medicina occidental y tradicional en los procesos de salud para esta comunidad.

[Primary health care for South-American indigenous peoples: an integrative review of the literatureAtención primaria en salud a indígenas de América del Sur: revisión integrativa de la bibliografía]

Objective

To review the literature regarding the access to primary health care (PHC) by indigenous communities in South America, identifying the main access barriers.

Method

Integrative review of articles published from 2007 to 2017 in the LILACS, PubMed, and SciELO databases. The search terms "indigenous AND health AND Brazil" and "indigenous AND health NOT Brazil" were used in Portuguese and English. Articles published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, focusing strictly on PHC and on South-American indigenous populations were included.

Results

Forty articles describing aspects of PHC for indigenous populations in eight countries - Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Ecuador - were included. The main barriers to accessing PHC were the difficulty of reaching the health care facilities closest to villages; difficulty in communicating with health care professionals; inadequate transportation to the health care units; lack of epidemiological data on indigenous villages; lack of information regarding local indigenous cultures; and fear of discrimination or humiliation on the part of indigenous patients.

Conclusions

Studies regarding the health of indigenous populations in South America are scarce. It is evident that national health systems still need to advance towards an intercultural medicine that respects the social, cultural, and economic realities of all communities, with knowledge and consideration for different forms of care.