Structure and process in primary health care for children and spatial distribution of infant mortality

OBJECTIVE

To identify the spatial patterns of the quality of the structure of primary health care services and the teams' work process and their effects on infant mortality in Brazil.

METHODS

An ecological study of spatial aggregates, using the 5,570 municipalities in Brazil as the unit of analysis. Secondary databases from the Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e Qualidade da Atenção Básica (PMAQ-AB - National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care), the Mortality Information System (SIM), and the Live Birth Information System (SINASC) were used. In 2018, the infant mortality rate was the outcome of the study, and the exposure variables were the proportion of basic health units (BHU) with adequate structure and work processes. Global and local Moran's indices were used to evaluate the degree of dependence and spatial autocorrelation. Spatial linear regression was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

In 2018, in Brazil, the infant mortality rate was 12.4/1,000 live births, ranging from 10.6/1,000 and 11.2/1,000 in the South and Southeast, respectively, to 14.1/1,000 and 14.5/1,000 in the Northeast and North regions, respectively. The proportion of teams with an adequate work process (β = -3.13) and the proportion of basic health units with an adequate structure (β = -0.34) were associated with a reduction in the infant mortality rate. Spatial autocorrelation was observed between smoothed mean infant mortality rates and indicators of the structure of primary health care services and the team's work process, with higher values in the North and Northeast of Brazil.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relationship between the structure of primary health care services and the teams' work process with the infant mortality rate. In this sense, investment in the qualification of health care within the scope of primary health care can have an impact on reducing the infant mortality rate and improving child health care.

Evolution of the availability of Information and Communication Technologies in primary health care in Brazil, 2012 to 2018

OBJECTIVE

To verify the evolution of the availability of information and communication technology equipment and inputs in primary health care services that participated in the external evaluation of the Access and Quality Improvement Program in Primary Care and its distribution according to context characteristics social and geographic.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study, analyzed the distribution of information and communication technology equipment in basic health units in Brazil, during the three cycles (2012 to 2018) of the Program for Improving Access and Quality in Primary Care. The variables were examined at the municipal level and stratified by geopolitical region. Univariate analysis was performed, using the chi-square test and testing the distributions of exposures among themselves and between the outcome and exposures.

RESULTS

The availability of information and communication technology equipment increased from 9.4% (2012) to 17.5% (2018), with emphasis on the Southeast and South regions, in municipalities with a population size of up to 10,000 inhabitants², with greater family health coverage and high/very high HDI-M. Over the period from 2012 to 2018, basic units joined the program and increased availability of information and communication technologies, such as Internet access, which ranged from 45.2% (n=6,249) to 74.0% (n=21,423), with emphasis on the Northeast region, which increased from 19.1% (n=970) to 58.8% (n=7,087).

CONCLUSION

Investment in technologies and constant evaluation of primary care in the country is necessary, contributing to its strengthening.

Factors associated with hospitalizations and deaths of pregnant women from Paraná due to COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the factors associated with hospitalization in the ward and intensive care unit (ICU), and with death from COVID-19 in pregnant women with confirmed cases.

METHODS

Observational, cross-sectional study, carried out with data from pregnant women with a confirmed case of COVID-19 from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System and the Paraná's state COVID-19 notification system. The association between the independent and dependent variables (hospitalization in the ward and ICU, and death) was investigated using the Poisson regression model with robust variance.

RESULTS

4,719 pregnant women comprised the study population. 9.6 and 5.1% were hospitalized in wards and ICU, respectively. 1.9% died. There was an association between advanced maternal age and hospitalization in wards (PR=1.36; 95%CI 1.10-1.62) and ICU (PR=2.25; 95%CI 1.78-2.71), and death (PR=3.22; 95%CI 2.30-4.15). An association was found between the third trimester and hospitalization in wards (PR=5.06; 95%CI 2.82-7.30) and ICU (PR=6.03; 95%CI 3.67-8.39) and death (PR=13.56; 95%CI 2.90-24.23). The second trimester was associated with ICU admission (PR=2.67; 95%CI 1.36-3.99). Pregnant women with cardiovascular disease had a higher frequency of hospitalization in wards (PR=2.24; 95%CI 1.43-3.05) and ICU (PR=2.66; 95%CI 1.46-3.87). Obesity was associated with ICU admission (PR=3.79; 95%CI 2.71-4.86) and death (PR=5.62; 95%CI 2.41-8.83).

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced maternal age, the end of the gestational period and comorbidities were associated with severe COVID-19.

Prevalence and factors associated with the death of older people hospitalized due to Covid-19 in the state of Paraná

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence and to analyze the factors associated with the death of older people hospitalized due to Covid-19 in the state of Paraná.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study conducted with secondary data from older people with a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 living in the State of Paraná, collected from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. Prevalence ratios were obtained by adjusting the regression model.

RESULTS

A total of 16,153 deaths of older people hospitalized in the State of Paraná were analyzed. The adjusted model revealed an association between death and some factors such as: belonging to the age group of 75 to 84 years (PR = 1.28; CI95% = 1.24-1.32) and 85 years or over (PR = 1.52; CI95% = 1.45-1.59); male (PR = 1.17; CI95% = 1.13-1.21); obesity (PR = 1.23; CI95% = 1.16-1.29); other morbidities (PR = 1.25; CI95% = 1.20-1.30); and having used ventilatory support (PR = 2.60; CI95% = 2.33-2.86). Older people vaccinated against influenza had a probability of death reduced by 11% (PR = 0.89; CI95% = 0.86-0.93).

CONCLUSION

The association of age, sex, and diagnosis of previous comorbidities with unfavorable outcomes from Covid-19 was identified. Having received the flu vaccine provided protection to elderly people who contracted SARS-CoV-2.

Trends in the quality of child health care in the first week of life in primary care services in Brazil

The aim of this study was to assess temporal trends in the quality of health care during the first-week child check-up in primary care services stratified by municipal, health team and maternal characteristics. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the three cycles of the National Program for the Improvement of Access and Quality (PMAQ) (2012, 2014 and 2018). Adult service users with children aged up to 2 were interviewed. The outcome was "good quality health care in the first week of life". Descriptive and time trend analyses were performed using variance-weighted least squares regression. The frequency of good quality care during the first-week check-up was 47.9% (95%CI 46.6-49.3) in 2012, 52.5% (95%CI 51.3-53.7) in 2014 and 53.3% (95%CI 52.2-54.4) in 2018, with an annual increase of 0.73 pp (p<0.001). The annual increase was greater in the Northeast (2.06 pp) and in municipalities with very low/low HDI (1.48 pp) and 100% family health strategy coverage (0.98 pp). Trends in the frequency of good quality health care during the first-week child check-up were favorable.

Perceived quality of life and associated factors in long COVID syndrome among older Brazilians: A cross-sectional study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to: (a) determine the personal, sociodemographic, clinical, behavioural, and social characteristics of older Brazilians with clinical evidence of long COVID; (b) evaluate perceived quality of life and determine its association with personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical and social variables; and (c) assess significant predictors of high perceived QoL.

BACKGROUND

Given the inherent vulnerabilities of the ageing process, the older people are an at-risk group for both contagion of SARS-CoV-2 and the perpetuation of residual symptoms after infection, the so-called long COVID or post-COVID syndrome.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey design using the STROBE checklist.

METHODS

Brazilian older people with long COVID syndrome (n = 403) completed a phone survey measuring personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical, and social characteristics, and perceived Quality of Life (QoL). Data were collected from June 2021-March 2022. A multiple linear regression model was performed to identify salient variables associated with high perceived QoL.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 67.7 ± 6.6 years old. The results of the multivariate regression model showed that race, home ownership, daily screen time, musculoskeletal and anxiety symptoms, and work situation were the significant predictors of QoL among COVID-19 survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge about the persistence of physical, emotional, and social symptoms of COVID-19 can help nurses and other healthcare providers to improve the management of survivors, bringing benefits to the whole society.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Given the novelty of long-COVID and its heterogeneous trajectory, interventions focusing on the repercussions and requirements unique to more vulnerable older persons should be developed and these aspects should be included in public health recommendations and policymakers' concerns.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution was required to design, to outcome measures or undertake this research. Patients/members of the public contributed only to the data collection.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies in Primary Health Care in Brazil - the period of 2014 to 2018

Information and Communication Technologies in Health allow the storage and processing of digital data, access to information and remote communications. The objective of this article was to describe the use of these Technologies to support clinical practice and continuing education by primary health care teams in Brazil the period of 2014 to 2018, within the scope of the Access and Quality Improvement Program Basic, according to characteristics of the geopolitical context. It's a cross-sectional study that analyzed the data collected from the teams of the Basic Health Units. A growing use by the teams of Telehealth resources, the Telemedicine University Network and the Open University of the Unified Health System was observed to aid clinical practice and permanent health education. In the North and Northeast regions, the use of these Technologies doubled, from cycle II to cycle III. The need for investments in infrastructure, human resources in Primary Health Care, qualification and professional training is a way to strengthen the Unified Health System and its Health Care Network, contributing to a continuous flow of care, with quality and access universal.

[Contextual characteristics and demand for health services among Brazilian adolescents: Brazilian National Health Survey, 2019]

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of demand for health services among Brazilian adolescents and to investigate its association with contextual characteristics of the territory. Study with data from the Brazilian National Health Survey, conducted in 2019, including 43,774 individuals aged from 10 to 19 years. Adolescent's information was obtained through a proxy resident of 18 years or more who answered for all the residents of the household. Poisson regression was used to assess the demand for health services according to geopolitical region, economic status, and type of municipality. The interaction of the health insurance was also evaluated in these associations. Of the total, 11.7% (95%CI: 11.1; 12.3) of the adolescents sought health services in the two weeks prior to the survey. Greater figures of demand were observed in the Southeast (PR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.15; 1.52) and South regions (PR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.13; 1.52) compared to the Northern Region of Brazil. Having a health insurance increased the demand for services by adolescents living in rural areas and in capitals and the municipalities of the Metropolitan Areas and/or Integrated Development Regions. The study showed a low prevalence of demand for health services among adolescents and contextual inequalities for the geopolitical region. Having a health insurance was an important marker to understand the disparities in the economic status and in the type of municipality.

[Incidence of depression and associated factors in older adults in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil]

To evaluate the cumulative incidence of depression and its associated factors in the older population living in the urban area of the municipality of Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, a prospective cohort study was conducted from 2008 to 2016/2017. The analysis was restricted to 615 older adults with complete information on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), both at baseline and at follow-up, and who did not present depression in 2008. To calculate crude and adjusted incidence ratios and 95% confidence interval, Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment was used, including the baseline variables. A hierarchical model of four levels of determination was used. The variables were controlled for those of the same or of higher levels, and the p-value ≤ 0.20 was established to remain in the analysis model. In 2008, 523 older people did not have depression and 92 had been screened with the disease. In 2016/2017, of the 523 individuals without depression in the baseline measure, 10.3% tested positive at screening (incident cases), whereas 89.7% of the older adults remained free of the condition. Of the 92 older adults with depression in 2008, 32.6% continued to present depressive symptoms at follow-up and 67.3% had remission of symptoms. Leaving home once or never and being incapable of doing functional and instrumental activities of daily living were associated with a higher risk of positive screening for depression. The results reinforce the multidimensional and dynamic character of depression, which alternates short and long episodes, and may become recurrent and chronic.

Performance patterns of primary health care in the face of COVID-19 in Brazil: characteristics and contrasts

The adequate fight against pandemics requires effective coordination between primary health care (PHC) and health surveillance, guaranteed attention to acute and chronic demands, and a bond with the community dimension in the scope of basic health units (UBS, acronym in Portuguese). This study aims to contrast two extreme standards of PHC performance in the fight against COVID-19 in Brazil, comparing them with the profiles of the corresponding municipalities and characteristics of the organization of services. Based on the results of a cross-sectional national survey with a representative sample of UBSs, we created a synthetic index to evaluate how PHC performs against COVID-19 called CPI, composed of axes of health surveillance and social support (collective dimension) and of COVID-19 care and continuity of care (individual dimension). Of the 907 surveyed UBSs, 120 were selected, half of which had the highest indexes (complete standard) and the other half, the lowest ones (restricted standard). The municipalities of the UBSs with a complete standard are predominantly rural, have low Municipal Health Development Index (MHDI), high Family Health Strategy (FHS) coverage, and stand out in the collective dimension, whereas the UBSs in urban municipalities with this same standard have high MHDI, low FHS coverage, and an emphasis on the individual dimension. In the restricted standard, we highlight community health workers' reduced work in the territory. In the Brazilian Northeast, UBSs with complete standard predominate, whereas, in its Southeast, UBSs with restricted standard predominate. The study poses questions that refer to the role and organization of PHC in the health care network under situations that require prompt response to health issues and indicates the greater potential capacity of the FHS program in such situations.

Quality of care for children under two years of age in Brazil's basic network in 2018: indicators and associated factors

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the quality of care for children under two years of age in the primary health care network with data from the external evaluation of the Program for the Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care in 2018.

METHODS

Users who had children under two years of age who were in the unit at the time of data collection were eligible for the study. The quality of care was evaluated using a synthetic indicator built with questions from the users' module. The exposure variables were: region, structure of basic health units, and staff process. A univariate analysis was performed and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated.

RESULTS

The sample was composed of 15.745 users who had children under the age of two years. Only 36.8% (95%CI 36,0-37,6) of users were classified as having received good quality care for their children, with a downward trend in prevalence as the child's age increased. Better results were observed in the Northeast region, in units that presented all the inputs and vaccines and for teams that used protocols and materials, kept records, performed active search and healthy eating actions.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of good quality of care for children under two years of age was low. These data can be useful for managers' decision-making and for the implementation of actions aimed at professionals, that encourage a higher quality of care to children, mainly the child leaving a consultation with the next appointment scheduled and a first consultation being carried out until their seventh day of life.

Emergency department use and Artificial Intelligence in Pelotas: design and baseline results

OBJETIVO

To describe the initial baseline results of a population-based study, as well as a protocol in order to evaluate the performance of different machine learning algorithms with the objective of predicting the demand for urgent and emergency services in a representative sample of adults from the urban area of Pelotas, Southern Brazil.

METHODS

The study is entitled "Emergency department use and Artificial Intelligence in PELOTAS (RS) (EAI PELOTAS)" (https://wp.ufpel.edu.br/eaipelotas/). Between September and December 2021, a baseline was carried out with participants. A follow-up was planned to be conducted after 12 months in order to assess the use of urgent and emergency services in the last year. Afterwards, machine learning algorithms will be tested to predict the use of urgent and emergency services over one year.

RESULTS

In total, 5,722 participants answered the survey, mostly females (66.8%), with an average age of 50.3 years. The mean number of household people was 2.6. Most of the sample has white skin color and incomplete elementary school or less. Around 30% of the sample has obesity, 14% diabetes, and 39% hypertension.

CONCLUSION

The present paper presented a protocol describing the steps that were and will be taken to produce a model capable of predicting the demand for urgent and emergency services in one year among residents of Pelotas, in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Quality of care for children under two years of age in Brazil’s basic network in 2018: indicators and associated factors

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the quality of care for children under two years of age in the primary health care network with data from the external evaluation of the Program for the Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care in 2018. Methods Users who had children under two years of age who were in the unit at the time of data collection were eligible for the study. The quality of care was evaluated using a synthetic indicator built with questions from the users’ module. The exposure variables were: region, structure of basic health units, and staff process. A univariate analysis was performed and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated. Results The sample was composed of 15.745 users who had children under the age of two years. Only 36.8% (95%CI 36,0–37,6) of users were classified as having received good quality care for their children, with a downward trend in prevalence as the child’s age increased. Better results were observed in the Northeast region, in units that presented all the inputs and vaccines and for teams that used protocols and materials, kept records, performed active search and healthy eating actions. Conclusion The prevalence of good quality of care for children under two years of age was low. These data can be useful for managers’ decision-making and for the implementation of actions aimed at professionals, that encourage a higher quality of care to children, mainly the child leaving a consultation with the next appointment scheduled and a first consultation being carried out until their seventh day of life.

Impact of socioeconomic factors and health determinants on preterm birth in Brazil: a register-based study

BACKGROUND

More than 15 million children are born preterm annually. While preterm survival rates have increased in high-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries, like Brazil, continue to battle high neonatal mortality rates due to a lack of adequate postnatal care. Globally, neonatal mortality is higher for preterm infants compared to those born at term. Our study aims to map and analyze the spatial, socioeconomic, and health coverage determinants related to preterm birth in Brazil in order to understand how spatial variations in demographics and access to primary care may affect preterm birth occurrences.  METHODS: Using publicly available national-level data from the Brazilian health system for 2008-2017, we conducted an ecological study to visualize the spatial distributions of preterm birth along with socioeconomic status, the structure of health services, and primary care work process, each consisting of multiple variables reduced via principal component analysis. Regression models were created to determine predictive effects of numeric and spatial variation of these scores on preterm birth rates.

RESULTS

In Brazil, preterm birth rates increased from 2008-2017, with small and rural municipalities frequently exhibiting higher rates than urban areas. Scores in socioeconomic status and work process were significant predictors of preterm birth rates, without taking into account spatial adjustment, with more positive scores in socioeconomic status predicting higher preterm birth rates (coefficient 0.001145) and higher scores in work process predicting lower preterm birth rates (coefficient -0.002416). Geographically weighted regression showed socioeconomic status to be a more significant predictor in the North, with the work process indicators being most significant in the Northeast.

CONCLUSIONS

Results support that primary care work process indicators are more significant in estimating preterm birth rates than physical structures available for care. These results emphasize the importance of ensuring the presence of the minimum human resources needed, especially in the most deprived areas of Brazil. The association between social determinants of health and preterm birth rates raises questions regarding the importance of policies dedicated to foster equity in the accessibility of healthcare services, and improve income as protective proxies for preterm birth.

Prevalence of not receiving a home visit by Community Health Agents in Brazil and associated factors

Abstract This article aimed to identify the prevalence of not receiving a home visit by a community health agent (CHA) and the factors associated with it. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted with 38,865 health teams and 140,444 users in the entire country, who participated in the external evaluation of the Program of Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Health (PMAQ-AB, in Portuguese) in 2017/2018. The association between not receiving a home visit by a CHA and the characteristics of the towns, teams, and individuals were estimated by the prevalence ratio (PR) with 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence of not receiving a home visit by a CHA was 18.6% and the main causes were: CHA did not visit the home, lack of knowledge of the existence of CHAs in the neighborhood or unit, and no one present at the home when the CHA visited. The probability of receiving a home visit was higher in poorer regions like the Northeast Region of the country; in towns with a smaller population; among older age users with a lower income, users with chronic health conditions, or users who have someone with a physical disability at home. The results showed that there is a need to increase the coverage of CHA visits in the country, considering that their home visits improve equity in health care.

Prevalência do não recebimento de visita domiciliar pelo Agente Comunitário de Saúde no Brasil e fatores associados

Resumo O objetivo do artigo é identificar a prevalência de não recebimento de visita domiciliar por Agente Comunitário de Saúde (ACS) e os fatores associados. Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com 38.865 equipes e 140.444 usuários em todo o território nacional, que participaram da avaliação externa do Programa de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica em 2017/2018. A associação de não recebimento de visita domiciliar por ACS e características dos municípios, equipes e indivíduos foi estimada pela razão de prevalência e intervalos de confiança de 95%. A prevalência de não recebimento de visita domiciliar pelo ACS foi de 18,6% e os principais motivos foram: ACS não realiza visita na casa, desconhecimento da existência de ACS no bairro ou unidade, e não tem ninguém em casa para atendê-lo. A probabilidade de receber visita domiciliar foi maior em regiões mais pobres como o Nordeste, em municípios com menor porte populacional, entre usuários com maior idade e menor renda, com condições crônicas de saúde ou que possuem alguém com dificuldade de locomoção no domicílio. Os resultados evidenciam a necessidade de aumento da cobertura de ACS no país, considerando que sua visita domiciliar promove equidade em saúde.

Education and income-related inequalities in multimorbidity among older Brazilian adults

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the existence of socioeconomic inequalities related to the prevalence of multimorbidity in the Brazilian population aged 60 and older.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study with data from the last Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS) collected in 2019. Multimorbidity was the dependent variable and was defined as the presence of two or more chronic diseases. All the diseases were assessed based on a self-reported previous medical diagnosis. Education and per capita family income were the measures of socioeconomic position. Socioeconomic inequalities related to multimorbidity were assessed using two complex measures of inequality; the Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and the Concentration Index (CI).

RESULTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity in Brazil was 56.5% 95% CI (55.4; 57.6) and varied from 46.9% (44.3; 49.6) in the North region to 59.3% (57.0; 61.5) in the South region. In general, individuals with higher socioeconomic positions had a lower prevalence of multimorbidity. Significant absolute and relative income inequalities were observed in the South region [SII -9.0; CI -0.054], Southeast [SII -9.8; CI -0.06], and Middle-east [SII -10.4; CI -0.063]. Absolute and relative education inequalities were significant for the country and two of its regions (Southeast [SII -12.7; CI -0.079] and South [SII -19.0; CI -0.109]).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of multimorbidity is high in Brazil and all of its macro-regions. The significant findings concerning the inequalities suggest that the distribution of this condition is more concentrated among those with lower education and income.

Post-acute COVID and long-COVID among adults and older adults in the State of Paraná, Brazil: protocol for an ambispective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Since 2020, the world has been going through a viral pandemic with a high morbidity and mortality rate along with the potential to evolve from an acute infection to post-acute and long-COVID, which is still in the process of elucidation. Diagnostic and prognostic research is essential to understand the complexity of factors and contexts involving the illness's process. This protocol introduces a study strategy to analyse predictors, sequelae, and repercussions of COVID-19 in adults and older adults with different disease severities in the State of Paraná, Brazil.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. The quantitative data will be conducted by an ambispective cohort study, which will explore the manifestations of COVID-19 for 18 months, with nearly 3000 participants with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19 (reverse transcription-PCR test) between March and December of 2020, retrieved from national disease reporting databases, over 18 years old, living in a Brazilian State (Paraná) and who survived the viral infection after being discharged from a health service. Data collection will be conducted through telephone interviews, at two different occasions: the first will be a recall 12 months after the acute phase as a retrospective follow-up, and the second will be another prospective interview, with data of the following 6 months. For the qualitative step, Grounded Theory will be used; participants will be selected from the cohort population. The first sample group will be composed of people who were discharged from the intensive care unit, and other sample groups will be composed according to theoretical saturation. The qualitative data will follow the temporal design and classification of the disease provided for in the cohort.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was granted by the State University of Maringá, under opinion number: 4 165 272 and CAAE: 34787020.0.0000.0104 on 21 July 2020, and Hospital do Trabalhador (Worker's Hospital), which is accountable for the Health Department of the State of Paraná, under opinion number: 4 214 589 and CAAE: 34787020.0.3001.5225 on 15 August 2020. The participants will verbally consent to the research, their consent will be recorded, and the informed consent form will be sent by mail or email. Outcomes will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, media and reports to related authorities.

[Evaluation of the implementation of the School Health Program from the Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care: 2012, 2014, and 2018]

This study aims to evaluate the implementation and describe the actions developed in the School Health Program (PSE) by primary care health teams that joined the Brazilian National Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Care (PMAQ-AB), in 2012, 2014, and 2018. The participation of the teams in school health activities increased throughout the three evaluation cycles, with the expansion of clinical evaluation, health promotion, and disease prevention actions. In cycle II, 24% of the teams performed the seven clinical evaluation actions, 18% performed the six promotion and prevention actions. However, 6.3% of the teams did not perform any clinical evaluation action and 8.8% did not perform health actions of promotion or prevention. In cycle III, more than 90% of the teams participated in the PSE, 84% of the health teams reported a combined planning for actions in schools, and more than 60% of the teams held joint meetings with the schools. PSE was institutionalized in all regions of the country, being more developed in municipalities with 10,000 to 30,000 inhabitants, lower Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M) level, and greater coverage of the Family Health Strategy (FHS). Despite the positive evolution, the predominance of clinical evaluation actions in relation to health promotion actions and the proportion of teams that still have limitations in the combined efforts between health and education suggest a certain distancing from the PSE guidelines. To advance the implementation of the PSE, it is necessary to train health and education professionals; deepen intersectoral connection; expand the implementation of information and communication technologies; and maintain policies that allow the evaluation of the PSE, in order to support its development.

Efeito da incontinência urinária na autopercepção negativa da saúde e depressão em idosos: uma coorte de base populacional

Resumo Objetivou-se medir a prevalência de autopercepção negativa da saúde e sintomas depressivos em idosos segundo a presença de incontinência urinária, após nove anos de acompanhamento. Trata-se de um estudo de coorte prospectivo de base populacional intitulado Saúde do Idoso Gaúcho de Bagé, no Rio Grande do Sul. Foram entrevistados 1.593 idosos no estudo de linha de base (2008) e 735 entre setembro de 2016 e agosto de 2017. A exposição “incontinência urinária (IU)” foi avaliada no estudo de linha de base e os desfechos “autopercepção negativa da saúde” e “sintomas depressivos” em 2016/17. A razão de odds e o intervalo de confiança de 95% foram calculados com regressão logística bruta e ajustada para variáveis demográficas, sociais, comportamentais e de condições de saúde. A prevalência de IU foi 20,7% em 2008 e 24,5% em 2016/17; a incidência foi de 19,8%, sendo 23,8% entre as mulheres e 14,6% entre os homens (p = 0,009). Idosos com IU no estudo de linha de base apresentaram chances 4,0 (IC95%:1,8-8,8) e 3,4 (IC95%:1,8-6,2) vezes maior de desenvolver autopercepção negativa da saúde e sintomas depressivos, respectivamente, após nove anos de acompanhamento, comparados àqueles sem IU. Os resultados evidenciam maior chance de problemas mentais entre idosos com IU.

Assessment of the appropriate management of syphilis patients in primary health care in different regions of Brazil from 2012 to 2018

This study aimed to analyze the presence of adequate infrastructure and work process in primary health care for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of syphilis in Brazil in 2012, 2014, and 2018. This is a cross-sectional, nationwide study with data from the three cycles of the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Healthcare (PMAQ-AB): 2012 (Cycle I), 2014 (Cycle II), and 2018 (Cycle III). Two outcomes were assessed: adequate infrastructure and work process. The independent variables were macroregion, municipality size, Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M), and coverage of the Family Health Strategy (FHS). Variance-weighted least squares regression was used to estimate annual changes in percentage. In total, 13,842 primary basic health units (UBS) and 17,202 professional health care teams were assessed in Cycle I; 24,055 UBS and 29,778 teams in Cycle II, and 28,939 UBS and 37,350 teams in Cycle III. About 1.4% of UBS had adequate infrastructure in Cycle I; 17.5% had in Cycle II; and 42.7% had in Cycle III. Adequate work process also increased in the three cycles, ranging from 47.3% in Cycle I to 45.5% in Cycle II and 75.4% in Cycle III. However, inequities are observed, considering that richer regions and larger municipalities, with higher HDI-M and lower FHS coverage improved the most. The low prevalence of adequate infrastructure and work process for the care of patients with syphilis in Brazil reflects a significant weakness in the Brazilian health system.

[Trend in the availability of vaccines in Brazil: PMAQ-AB, 2012, 2014, and 2018]

The objective was to analyze the trend in the availability of vaccines in Brazil and its various regions and states from 2012 to 2018. This cross-sectional study used data from basic units assessed in cycles I (2012), II (2014), and III (2018) of the Brazilian National Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Care (PMAQ-AB). We assessed the availability of the dT, hepatitis B, meningococcal C, polio, pneumococcal 10-valent, MMR, DPT, tetravalent/pentavalent, and human rotavirus vaccines. Identification of trend was performed with weighted least squares regression to estimate annual percent changes. We also verified the relative and absolute differences in prevalence of vaccines. The sample consisted of 13,842 basic health units in Cycle I, 19,752 in Cycle II, and 25,152 in Cycle III. An upward trend was seen in the prevalence of availability of all vaccines investigated during the period, with an increase of 16 percentage points from 2012 to 2018, reaching nearly 70% in 2018. The regions with the largest upward trend were the North (2.9p.p.), Central-West (2.1p.p.), and Northeast (2.0p.p.). There was a visible downward trend in both the availability (-3.3p.p.) and absolute and relative difference (-20p.p.; 0.68) in Rio de Janeiro State. The prevalence of availability of vaccines was low in Brazil, with disparities between regions that become even more pronounced when assessing specific states.

Evolution of the quality of prenatal care in the primary network of Brazil from 2012 to 2018: What can (and should) improve?

The article describes the temporal evolution of prenatal quality indicators in the primary health care network in Brazil and investigates regional differences. This study used data from the external evaluation of Brazil's National Program for Improving Primary Care Access and Quality (PMAQ) with health teams participating in Cycles I, II and III of the Program, carried out respectively in 2012, 2013/14 and 2017/18. The number of visits, physical examination procedures, guidelines and request for laboratory tests were investigated. There was a positive evolution for tests-HIV, syphilis, blood glucose and ultrasound, and for all tests, guidance on feeding and weight gain of the baby and examination of the oral cavity. The indicators that performed the worst were: performance of tetanus vaccine, six or more visits, receiving guidance on exclusive breastfeeding and care for the newborn, and the procedures-all, measurement of uterine height, gynecological exam and cervix cancer prevention. These changes had a varied behavior between the regions of the country.

Rheumatic diseases and associated factors in older adults: a Brazilian population-based study

Introduction: Rheumatic diseases have high occurrence in older adults, which may lead to a reduction in independence and quality of life. Objective: To calculate prevalence and to identify factors associated with rheumatic diseases in older adults of the urban area of a municipality in Southern Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional population-based study, conducted in 2008 in the city of Bagé-RS, Brazil with older adults aged 60 years or over. The outcome was defined from the question "Has any doctor told you that you have rheumatism, arthritis or arthrosis?" Poisson regression was used for the crude and adjusted analysis. Results: A total of 1,593 participants were interviewed. 27.3% (95% CI 25.0-29.5) reported having medical diagnosis of at least one of the rheumatic diseases studied. In the adjusted analysis, it was found that female sex (RP=2.86; 95% CI 2.28-3.59; p≤0.001), without schooling (RP=1.24; 95% CI 1.0-1.58; p=0.047), not living alone (RP=1.29; 95% CI 1.03-1.61; p=0.024), poor self-perception of health (PR=1.54; 95% CI 1.63-2.02; p=0.001), spinal problems (PR=1,96; 95% CI 1.67-2.31; p≤0.001), fall in the last year (PR=1.22; 95% CI 1.04-1.43; p=0.013), incapacity for instrumental activities of daily living (PR=1.20; 95% CI 1.02-1.41; p=0.028) and healthcare appointment in the last 3 months (PR=1.20; 95% CI 1.01-1.42; p=0.035) were associated with the presence of rheumatic diseases (rheumatism, arthritis and arthrosis). Conclusion: It is suggested that care of musculoskeletal problems of the spine should be increased, in order to reduce falls and functional disability in older adults, based on actions focused on the prevention of these problems.

Machine learning analysis to predict health outcomes among emergency department users in Southern Brazil: a protocol study

OBJECTIVE

Emergency services are essential to the organization of the health care system. Nevertheless, they face different operational difficulties, including overcrowded services, largely explained by their inappropriate use and the repeated visits from users. Although a known situation, information on the theme is scarce in Brazil, particularly regarding longitudinal user monitoring. Thus, this project aims to evaluate the predictive performance of different machine learning algorithms to estimate the inappropriate and repeated use of emergency services and mortality.

METHODS

To that end, a study will be conducted in the municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, with around five thousand users of the municipal emergency department.

RESULTS

If the study is successful, we will provide an algorithm that could be used in clinical practice to assist health professionals in decision-making within hospitals. Different knowledge dissemination strategies will be used to increase the capacity of the study to produce innovations for the organization of the health system and services.

CONCLUSION

A high performance predictive model may be able to help decisionmaking in the emergency services, improving quality of care.

Health service utilization and associated factors, among students at the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil: a cross-sectional study, 2018

OBJECTIVE

To analyze health service utilization and associated factors among university students.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study conducted with a sample of 2,708 students at the Federal University of Pelotas between November 2017 and July 2018.

RESULTS

Of the 1,865 individuals included in the study, 55.8% used health services in the last 12 months, 39.3% used specialized services, and 22.6% used health centers; 45.9% used services funded by the Brazilian National Health System (SUS); 49.1% used health services for the purposes of prevention. There was greater use among females (prevalence ratio, PR=1.34 - 95%CI 1.23;1.46) and students with health needs (PR=1.51 - 95%CI 1.40;1.63). Greater association was found with SUS-funded services: primary health care center (83.0% [95%CI 77.3;87.5]), accident and emergency (81.3% [95%CI 73.2;87.5]) and urgent care center (83.6% [95%CI 76.2;89.0]).

CONCLUSION

The analysis indicated that women and people with health needs use health services more and that the SUS is the main service provider.

Data-driven risk stratification for preterm birth in Brazil: a population-based study to develop of a machine learning risk assessment approach

Background

Preterm birth (PTB) is a growing health issue worldwide, currently considered the leading cause of newborn deaths. To address this challenge, the present work aims to develop an algorithm capable of accurately predicting the week of delivery supporting the identification of a PTB in Brazil.

Methods

This a population-based study analyzing data from 3,876,666 mothers with live births distributed across the 3,929 Brazilian municipalities. Using indicators comprising delivery characteristics, primary care work processes, and physical infrastructure, and sociodemographic data we applied a machine learning-based approach to estimate the week of delivery at the point of care level. We tested six algorithms: eXtreme Gradient Boosting, Elastic Net, Quantile Ordinal Regression - LASSO, Linear Regression, Ridge Regression and Decision Tree. We used the root-mean-square error (RMSE) as a precision.

Findings

All models obtained RMSE indexes close to each other. The lower levels of RMSE were obtained using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting approach which was able to estimate the week of delivery within a 2.09 window 95%IC (2.090-2.097). The five most important variables to predict the week of delivery were: number of previous deliveries through Cesarean-Section, number of prenatal consultations, age of the mother, existence of ultrasound exam available in the care network, and proportion of primary care teams in the municipality registering the oral care consultation.

Interpretation

Using simple data describing the prenatal care offered, as well as minimal characteristics of the pregnant, our approach was capable of achieving a relevant predictive performance regarding the week of delivery.

Funding

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - Brazil, (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPQ acronym in portuguese) Support of the research project named: Data-Driven Risk Stratification for Preterm Birth in Brazil: Development of a Machine Learning-Based Innovation for Health Care- Grant: OPP1202186.

Health care for people with diabetes and hypertension in Brazil: cross-sectional study of Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care, 2014

OBJECTIVE

To assess health care for people with diabetes and hypertension, comparing the teams according to their participation in both cycles I and II of the Program for Improving Primary Health Care Access and Quality (PMAQ), and to verify its association with the characteristics of service users and municipalities.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study using PMAQ data from 2014. The following variables were used: team organization, request for tests and health care reported by service users.

RESULTS

Thirty-five percent of the teams presented adequate organization and 88% requested all tests. Among the users, 31% had their feet examined and 18% received adequate health care. Municipalities in the Southeast region, with more than 300,000 inhabitants and the highest human development index, presented the best indicators. The teams that took part in both cycles I and II showed greater prevalence of organization and request for tests.

CONCLUSION

Health care for people with diabetes and hypertension in primary health care in Brazil needs improvement.

[Availability of inputs for reproductive planning in three cycles of the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality in Basic Healthcare: 2012, 2014, and 2018]

The objective was to assess the availability of inputs for reproductive planning in basic healthcare units (UBS in Portuguese) that participated in the National Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Care (PMAQ-AB) and their distribution according to contextual factors. A comparative study was conducted of the three cycles of the PMAQ-AB (2012, 2014, and 2018). The study assessed the availability in the UBS of ethynyl-estradiol + levonorgestrel, norethisterone, norethisterone + estradiol, levonorgestrel, medroxyprogesterone, male and female condoms, IUDs, and rapid pregnancy tests. The study considered the availability and presence of all the inputs. Availability was assessed according to contextual factors in the city where the UBS was located. Availability of total inputs increased from 1.5% to 10.9%. In all the cycles, ethynyl-estradiol + levonorgestrel and male condoms showed the highest availability, and IUDs the lowest. Individual input´s availability also increased, with the highest increase of 36p.p. for female condoms, rapid pregnancy tests, and norethisterone + estradiol and the lowest of 15p.p. for ethynyl-estradiol + levonorgestrel, norethisterone, and IUDs. The North of Brazil showed the worst results. The largest increases were in the UBS in the municipalities with the lowest HDI and in those that participated in all the cycles of the PMAQ. Condoms are the only widely available inputs, and it is important to expand the availability of the other inputs, mainly IUDs and rapid pregnancy tests. The period under study experienced the promotion of equity, but regional inequalities need to be overcome. It is essential to monitor the inputs´ availability in order to improve reproductive planning.

National COVID-19 vaccination plan: using artificial spatial intelligence to overcome challenges in Brazil

This article explores the use of spatial artificial intelligence to estimate the resources needed to implement Brazil's COVID-19 immu nization campaign. Using secondary data, we conducted a cross-sectional ecological study adop ting a time-series design. The unit of analysis was Brazil's primary care centers (PCCs). A four-step analysis was performed to estimate the popula tion in PCC catchment areas using artificial in telligence algorithms and satellite imagery. We also assessed internet access in each PCC and con ducted a space-time cluster analysis of trends in cases of SARS linked to COVID-19 at municipal level. Around 18% of Brazil's elderly population live more than 4 kilometer from a vaccination point. A total of 4,790 municipalities showed an upward trend in SARS cases. The number of PCCs located more than 5 kilometer from cell towers was largest in the North and Northeast regions. Innovative stra tegies are needed to address the challenges posed by the implementation of the country's National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. The use of spatial artificial intelligence-based methodologies can help improve the country's COVID-19 response.

Family Health Strategy, Primary Health Care, and Social Inequalities in Mortality Among Older Adults in Bagé, Southern Brazil

Objectives. To investigate the role of the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in reducing social inequalities in mortality over a 9-year follow-up period.Methods. We carried out a population-based cohort study of individuals aged 60 years and older from the city of Bagé, Brazil. Of 1593 participants at baseline (2008), 1314 (82.5%) were included in this 9-year follow-up (2017). We assessed type of primary health care (PHC) coverage and other variables at baseline. In 2017, we ascertained 579 deaths through mortality registers. Hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals modeled time to death estimated by Cox regression. We also tested the effect modification between PHC and wealth.Results. The FHS had a protective effect on mortality among individuals aged 60 to 64 years, a result not found among those not covered by the FHS. Interaction analysis showed that the FHS modified the effect of wealth on mortality. The FHS protected the poorest from all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36, 0.96) and avoidable mortality (HR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.25, 0.85).Conclusions. FHS coverage reduced social inequalities in mortality among older adults. Our findings highlight the need to guarantee universal health coverage in Brazil by expanding and strengthening the FHS to promote health equity.

Progress and challenges in potential access to oral health primary care services in Brazil: A population-based panel study with latent transition analysis

OBJECTIVE

Compared indicators of potential access to oral health services sought in two cycles of the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care (PMAQ-AB), verifying whether the program generated changes in access to oral health services.

METHODS

Transitional analysis of latent classes was used to analyze two cross-sections of the external evaluation of the PMAQ-AB (Cycle I: 2011-2012 and Cycle II: 2013-2014), identifying completeness classes for a structure and work process related to oral health. Consider three indicators of structure (presence of a dental surgeon, existence of a dental office and operating at minimum hours) and five of the work process (scheduling every day of the week, home visits, basic dental procedures, scheduling for spontaneous demand and continuation of treatment). Choropleth maps and hotspots were made.

RESULTS

The proportion of elements that had one or more dentist (CD), dental office and operated at minimum hours varied from 65.56% to 67.13 between the two cycles of the PMAQ-AB. The number of teams that made appointments every day of the week increased 8.7% and those that made home visits varied from 44.51% to 52.88%. The reduction in the number of teams that reported guaranteeing the agenda for accommodating spontaneous demand, varying from 62.41% to 60.11% and in the continuity of treatment, varying from 63.41% to 61.11%. For the structure of health requirements, the predominant completeness profile was "Best completeness" in both cycles, comprising 71.0% of the sets at time 1 and 67.0% at time 2. The proportion of teams with "Best completeness" increased by 89.1%, the one with "Worst completeness" increased by 20%, while those with "Average completeness" decreased by 66.3%.

CONCLUSION

We identified positive changes in the indicators of potential access to oral health services, expanding the users' ability to use them. However, some access attributes remain unsatisfactory, with organizational barriers persisting.

Social relationships and survival in the older adult cohort

Objective:

to verify the influence of social relations on the survival of older adults living in southern Brazil.

Method:

a cohort study (2008 and 2016/17), conducted with 1,593 individuals aged 60 years old or over, in individual interviews. The outcomes of social relations and survival were verified by Multiple Correspondence Analysis, which guided the proposal of an explanatory matrix for social relations, the analysis of survival by Kaplan-Meier, and the multivariate analysis by Cox regression to verify the association between the independent variables.

Results:

follow-up was carried out with 82.5% (n=1,314), with 46.1% being followed up in 2016/17 (n=735) and 579 deaths (36.4%). The older adults who went out of their homes daily had a 39% reduction in mortality, and going to parties kept the protective effect of 17% for survival. The lower risk of death for women is modified when the older adults live in households with two or more people, in this case women have an 89% higher risk of death than men.

Conclusion:

strengthened social relationships play a mediating role in survival. The findings made it possible to verify the importance of going out of the house as a marker of protection for survival.

Habilidades de comunicação clínica dos preceptores de medicina de família e comunidade em Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil

Objetivo: Este estudo investigou a autoavaliação dos preceptores (versão resumida do Guia Observacional Calgary-Cambridge) sobre quanto aplicam e ensinam HCC, bem como sobre oportunidades de ensino e qualidade do feedback. Métodos: Realizou-se um estudo transversal com 44 preceptores ativos do internato e da residência de medicina de família e comunidade de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Resultados: Os preceptores se autoavaliaram positivamente em relação à aplicação e ao ensino de HCC, mas as oportunidades de ensino de HCC são escassas e a qualidade do feedback é mediana. Conclusão: É preciso melhorar a estrutura física e a educação permanente sobre feedback e métodos de ensino, incluindo videogravação de consulta, para ampliar as oportunidades de ensino de HCC.

Multimorbidity and population at risk for severe COVID-19 in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging

This study aimed to measure the occurrence of multimorbidity and to estimate the number of individuals in the Brazilian population 50 years or older at risk for severe COVID-19. This was a cross-sectional nationwide study based on data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), conducted in 2015-2016, with 9,412 individuals 50 years or older. Multimorbidity was defined as ≥ 2 chronic conditions based on a list of 15 diseases considered risk conditions for severe COVID-19. The analyses included calculation of prevalence and estimation of the absolute number of persons in the population at risk. Self-rated health status, frailty, and basic activities of daily living were used as markers of health status. Sex, age, region of the country, and schooling were used as covariables. Some 80% of the sample had at least one of the target conditions, which represents some 34 million individuals. Multimorbidity was reported by 52% of the study population, with higher proportions in the Central, Southeast, and South of Brazil. Cardiovascular diseases and obesity were the most frequent chronic conditions. An estimated 2.4 million Brazilians are at serious health risk. The results revealed inequalities according to schooling. The number of persons 50 years or older who presented risk conditions for severe COVID-19 is high both in absolute and relative terms. The estimate is important for planning strategies to monitor persons with chronic conditions and for preventive strategies to deal with the novel coronavirus.

Protective behaviors for COVID-19 among Brazilian adults and elderly living with multimorbidity: the ELSI-COVID-19 initiative

To measure the occurrence of protective behaviors for COVID-19 and sociodemographic factors according to the occurrence of multimorbidity in the Brazilian population aged 50 or over was the objective of this study. We used data from telephone surveys among participants of ELSI-Brazil (Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging), conducted between May and June 2020. The use of non-pharmacological prevention measures for COVID-19, reasons for leaving home according to the presence of multimorbidity and sociodemographic variables were evaluated. among 6,149 individuals. Multimorbidity was more frequent in females, married, aged 50-59 years and residents of the urban area. Most of the population left home between once and twice in the last week, increasing according to the number of morbidities (22.3% no morbidities and 38% with multimorbidity). Leaving home every day was less common among individuals with multimorbidity (10.3%) and 9.3% left home in the last week to access health care. Hand hygiene (> 98%) and always wearing a mask when leaving home (> 96%) were almost universal habits. Greater adherence to social isolation was observed among women with multimorbidity when compared to men (PR = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.23-1.79). This adherence increased proportionally with age and inversely with the level of education. The protective behavior in people with multimorbidity seems to be greater in relation to the others, although issues related to social isolation and health care deserve to be highlighted. These findings can be useful in customizing strategies for coping with the current pandemic.

Self-learning Courses EaD to qualify clinical practice

Background

Health service evaluation studies point to the low quality of care, however the permanent education of health professionals is a major challenge. Within the scope of the Open University for the Unified Health System (SUS), the Department of Social Medicine of the Federal University of Pelotas produced open access self-learning courses, for primary health care, based on interactive clinical cases, through distance learning.

Methods

The courses, with 45 hours, provides interactive clinical cases, medical calculators and textual materials for use by the professional or with the community. The cases are presented and followed by multiple choice questions, focusing diagnosis and treatment. The feedback is automatic. An expanded theoretical content ('learn more') that privileges the use of illustrations, images, infographics and flowcharts useful for professional practice can be accessed. Bibliographical references on the subject are also available. The courses are available in a responsive web client app, for various types of devices, providing control of progress and automatic certification. The app allows the work offline, enabling the permanent education of professionals working in remote areas.

Results

Six courses were produced for doctors, nurses and dentists, more than 30,000 users were certified.

Conclusions

This problem-based learning initiative allows the student to have a menu of cases, providing a choice of the subject, decision on the time allocated to the activity, repetition according to its need, access to a large bibliography and reading in the quantity and depth chosen by the student. In addition, the format is challenging and develops clinical reasoning. The proposition of questions promotes the reflection of the student in relation to his knowledge on the subject. Automatic feedback, 'learn more' and selected bibliographies provide formative assessment and subsidize students to define their study needs in each subject.

Key messages

Distance learning expands the possibility of qualifying the clinical practice of health professionals, especially those in remote areas. Interactive clinical cases provide the development of clinical reasoning, content review and promote formative assessment.

Availability of family planning supplies in the Brazilian Primary Health Care Units

Background

The availability of contraceptive methods is a main determinant of their use and diversification is necessary to meet the reproductive health needs of women at different stages of life, in a universal and equitable way. The study aims to evaluate the availability of family planning supplies in Primary Care Units (PCU) in Brazil that adhered to the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care (PMAQ-AB) in three evaluation cycles (2012, 2014, 2018), as well as, its distribution according to the Human Development Index (HDI), population size, Family Health Strategy (FHS) coverage and geographic region.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study, of the more than 10.000 UBS included in the external evaluation of the PMAQ-AB. Availability was assessed by the physical presence of the following supplies: ethinyl estradiol + levonorgestrel, norethisterone, norethisterone + estradiol, levonorgestrel, medroxyprogesterone, male and female condom, IUD and rapid pregnancy test. The availability of all supplies at the PCU was considered adequate availability.

Results

The availability of supplies increased in the evaluated period. The lowest availabilities were IUD, 34.4% and rapid pregnancy test, 41.8%; the greatest were male condoms, 96.9%, and ethinyl estradiol + levonorgestrel, 85.2%. In Cycle III, adequate availability was 10.9%. The North had the worst results, followed by the Midwest region. HDI had little effect and population size had no effect on adequate availability, while FHS coverage was associated with greater availability. The PCUs of municipalities with a lower HDI had the largest increases in adequate availability. Adequate availability was greater in the PCUs that participated in all PMAQ-AB cycles.

Conclusions

Policies aimed at strengthening PHC increased the availability of supplies evaluated with equity promotion, however, regional inequities remain. The availability of a rapid pregnancy test and an IUD should be increased.

Key messages

Policies aimed at strengthening PHC, focusing infrastructure, provision and training professionals and quality monitoring increased the availability of family planning supplies with equity promotion. Monitoring the availability family planning supplies is essential for detecting failures, as the low availability of rapid pregnancy test, an essential supply for the early start of prenatal care.

Comprehending the lack of access to maternal and neonatal emergency care: Designing solutions based on a space-time approach

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to better understand how the lack of emergency child and obstetric care can be related to maternal and neonatal mortality levels.

METHODS

We performed spatiotemporal geospatial analyses using data from Brazilian municipalities. An emergency service accessibility index was derived using the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) for 951 hospitals. Mortality data from 2000 to 2015 was used to characterize space-time trends. The data was overlapped using a spatial clusters analysis to identify regions with lack of emergency access and high mortality trends.

RESULTS

From 2000 to 2015 Brazil the overall neonatal mortality rate varied from 11,42 to 11,71 by 1000 live births. The maternal mortality presented a slightly decrease from 2,98 to 2,88 by 100 thousand inhabitants. For neonatal mortality the Northeast and North regions presented the highest percentage of up trending. For maternal mortality the North region exhibited the higher volume of up trending. The accessibility index obtained highlighted large portions of the rural areas of the country without any coverage of obstetric or neonatal beds.

CONCLUSIONS

The analyses highlighted regions with problems of mortality and access to maternal and newborn emergency services. This sequence of steps can be applied to other low and medium income countries as health situation analysis tool.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Low and middle income countries have greater disparities in access to emergency child and obstetric care. There is a lack of approaches capable to support analysis considering a spatiotemporal perspective for emergency care. Studies using Geographic Information System analysis for maternal and child care, are increasing in frequency. This approach can identify emergency child and obstetric care saturated or deprived regions. The sequence of steps designed here can help researchers, and policy makers to better design strategies aiming to improve emergency child and obstetric care.

[Lack of access and the trajectory of healthcare use by elderly Brazilians]

Populational ageing is a current phenomenon and calls for the reconfiguration of health services and expansion of access for the elderly. This is a cross-sectional study with 6,624 elderly Brazilians over 60 that set out to evaluate access to healthcare by measuring lack of access and by describing the trajectory until recourse to hospitalization, emergency care and medical visits. The variables were analyzed according to the nature of funding to access the service (SUS, private insurance and cash-payment). The prevalence of lack of access was 2.5% (CI95% 1.6;4.0) for hospitalizations, 2.1% (CI95% 1.4; 3.1) for emergency rooms, and 0.6% (CI95% 0.3;0.9) for medical visits. SUS accounted for most of the care provided. Positive aspects of SUS were the higher number of medical visits in the city of residence and less money spent on transport. The private system stands out for the low frequency of long waiting times and higher frequency of referrals to return visits after hospitalization. The findings highlight the importance of SUS in Brazil in promoting equality and universality despite the existing deficiencies. In both public and private systems, greater articulation among the healthcare levels is required for integral healthcare to elderly individuals.

Characteristics of primary care and rates of pediatric hospitalizations in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association among characteristics of primary health care center (PHCC) with hospitalizations for primary care sensitive conditions (PCSC) in Brazil.

METHOD

In this study, a cross-sectional ecological study was performed. This study analyzed the 27 capitals of Brazil's federative units. Data were aggregated from the following open access databases: National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care, the Hospital Information System of Brazilian Unified Health System and Annual Population Census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Associations were estimated among characteristics of primary care with the number of three PCSC as the leading causes of hospitalization in children under-5 population in Brazil: asthma, diarrhea, and pneumonia.

RESULTS

In general, PHCC showed limited structural adequacy (37.3%) for pediatric care in Brazil. The capitals in South and Southeast regions had the best structure whereas the North and Northeast had the worst. Fewer PCSC hospitalizations were significantly associated with PHCC which presented appropriate equipment (RR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.97-0.99), structural conditions (RR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.97-0.99), and signage/identification of professionals and facilities (RR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.97-0.99). Higher PCSC hospitalizations were significantly associated with PHCC with more physicians (RR: 1.23, 95%CI: 1.02-1.48), it forms (RR: 1.01, 95%CI: 1.01-1.02), and more medications (RR: 1.02, 95%CI: 1.01-1.03).

CONCLUSION

Infrastructural adequacy of PHCC was associated with less PCSC hospitalizations, while availability medical professional and medications were associated with higher PCSC hospitalizations.

Modifiable risk factors for 9-year mortality in older English and Brazilian adults: The ELSA and SIGa-Bagé ageing cohorts

To quantify and compare 9-year all-cause mortality risk attributable to modifiable risk factors among older English and Brazilian adults. We used data for participants aged 60 years and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Bagé Cohort Study of Ageing (SIGa-Bagé). The five modifiable risk factors assessed at baseline were smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. Deaths were identified through linkage to mortality registers. For each risk factor, estimated all-cause mortality hazard ratios (HR) and population attributable fractions (PAF) were adjusted by age, sex, all other risk factors and socioeconomic position (wealth) using Cox proportional hazards modelling. We also quantified the risk factor adjusted wealth gradients in mortality, by age and sex. Among the participants, 659 (ELSA) and 638 (SIGa-Bagé) died during the 9-year follow-up. Mortality rates were higher in SIGa-Bagé. HRs and PAFs showed more similarities than differences, with physical inactivity (PAF 16.5% ELSA; 16.7% SIGa-Bagé) and current smoking (PAF 4.9% for both cohorts) having the strongest association. A clear graded relationship existed between the number of risk factors and subsequent mortality. Wealth gradients in mortality were apparent in both cohorts after full adjustment, especially among men aged 60-74 in ELSA. A different pattern was found among older women, especially in SIGa-Bagé. These findings call attention for the challenge to health systems to prevent and modify the major risk factors related to non-communicable diseases, especially physical inactivity and smoking. Furthermore, wealth inequalities in mortality persist among older adults.

Prenatal care in Brazil: a cross-sectional study of the Program for Improving Primary Care Access and Quality, 2014

OBJECTIVE

to describe the adequacy of primary health care center structure, requests for tests and prenatal care reported by female health service users within the scope of the Program for Improving Primary Care Access and Quality (PMAQ) in Brazil.

METHODS

this was a cross-sectional study using PMAQ Cycle II (2014) data.

RESULTS

data from 9,909 health centers, 9,905 teams, and 9,945 female health service users were included; 70.1% (95%CI 69.2;71.0) of health centers had adequate structure; 88.0% (95%CI 87.4;88.7) of the teams requested all tests; 59.8% (95%CI 58.8;60.8) of female health service users reported receiving total guidance, and 23.4% of them (95%CI 22.5;24.2) underwent all physical examination procedures; teams that participated in both Cycle I and Cycle II presented better results.

CONCLUSION

in spite of shortcomings in Primary Care structure and work process in Brazil, PMAQ appears to positively affect prenatal care.

Structure for the work and composition of Family Health Support Unit teams: national survey - Program for Improving Primary Health Care Access and Quality (PMAQ), 2013

OBJECTIVE

to describe the structure of Family Health Support Unit (FHSU) teams with regard to physical space, training received, continuing education and professionals that support Primary Health Care (PHC) teams in Brazil, in 2013.

METHODS

this is a descriptive study using data from the external evaluation stage of the Program for Improving Primary Health Care Access and Quality (PMAQ).

RESULTS

the 1,773 FHSU teams mainly used shared clinics at primary health care centers (85.7%); 63.4% of professionals were offered specific training when they started work at their FHSU, while 67.4% were offered continuing education; the teams received support mainly from physiotherapists (87.4%) and Physical Education professionals (87,0%).

CONCLUSION

the structure available for FHSU teams is in accordance with the guidelines; some FHSU professionals have not received any specific training for the job.

Exposição a agrotóxicos: estudo de base populacional em zona rural do sul do Brasil

RESUMO: Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência de exposição a agrotóxicos e fatores associados entre moradores de zona rural. Métodos: Estudo transversal de base populacional realizado com 1.518 indivíduos, em 2016. Foram aleatoriamente selecionados 24 setores censitários de oito distritos rurais de Pelotas, RS. Indivíduos ≥ 18 anos residentes nos domicílios aleatoriamente selecionados eram elegíveis. Foi realizada análise descritiva e apresentada prevalência de contato com os agrotóxicos. A associação entre desfecho e variáveis independentes deu-se por regressão de Poisson, conforme modelo hierárquico. As variáveis foram ajustadas para todas do mesmo nível, além daquelas que foram mantidas no modelo do nível anterior e das com valor p < 0,20. Resultados: A prevalência de contato com agrotóxicos no último ano foi de 23,7%, e, entre esses participantes, 5,9% relataram intoxicação por agrotóxicos alguma vez na vida. A probabilidade de contato com agrotóxicos no último ano foi maior entre os homens (razão de prevalência - RP = 2,00; intervalo de confiança de 95% - IC95% 1,56 - 2,56); entre aqueles com idades entre 40 e 49 anos (RP = 1,44; IC95% 1,12 - 1,80); entre os menos escolarizados (RP = 2,06; IC95% 1,39 - 3,10); os que exerciam trabalho rural (RP = 2,87; IC95% 2,05 - 4,01); e aqueles que moraram na zona rural a vida inteira (RP = 1,28; IC95% 1,00 - 1,66). Conclusões: Aproximadamente um em cada quatro adultos da zona rural de Pelotas entrou em contato com agrotóxicos no ano anterior ao estudo. Os achados evidenciam a existência de desigualdades sociais relacionadas à exposição aos agrotóxicos e fornecem informações para ações visando à redução da exposição e intoxicação por esses produtos.

The ability of waist-to-height ratio to identify health risk

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the performance of the ratio between the waist circumference and the height in the identification of health risk compared with the correlation matrix between the anthropometric parameters body mass index and waist circumference.

METHODS

A population-based study presenting a transversal cut in a representative sample of the Brazilian adult and older population. The combination of the body mass index with the waist circumference resulted in health risk categories, and the cutoff points of the ratio between the waist circumference and the height as anthropometric indicator were used for classification of low and increased risk. Poisson regression was used to verify the association of systemic arterial hypertension with the health risk categories.

RESULTS

The results showed 26% of adult men, 10.4% of adult women and more than 30% of the older adults of both genders classified as without risk by the combination matrix between body mass index and waist circumference presented a ratio between the waist circumference and height that showed increased risk. All risk categories continued to be associated with hypertension after control for confounding factors, being almost two times higher for adults with moderate and high risk according to both methods. When the waist-to-height ratio was used as a risk indicator, the prevalence of hypertension ratios for the older adults was 1.37 (95%CI 1.16–1.63) and 1.35 (95%CI 1.12–1.62) for men and women, respectively, being these values close to the combination matrix body mass index and waist circumference.

CONCLUSIONS

The waist-to-height ratio identified more individuals at early health risk than the combination matrix between the body mass index and the waist circumference and showed comparable ability to identify health risk, regardless of gender and age, regarding the prevalence ratios for systemic arterial hypertension.

Evaluation of the Program to Combat Neglected Diseases in controlling schistosomiasis mansoni in three hyperendemic municipalities, Pernambuco, Brazil, 2014

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the implementation of schistosomiasis mansoni control actions under the Program to Combat Neglected Diseases in three municipalities in Pernambuco state, Brazil.

METHODS

implementation analysis was done in 2014, considering the following components - management, epidemiological surveillance, patient care, laboratorial support and health education -; direct observation and interviews were carried out with managers and technical personnel at the state, regional, and municipal levels.

RESULTS

partial implementation was found in municipalities A and B 69.7%; 62.2%, while there was full implementation in municipality C 79.5%; contextual weaknesses were found in communication between management levels, insufficient technical-management autonomy of decentralized levels, and professional staff job instability; potentialities identified were - continuing education, political articulation, knowledge about the program, and performance evaluation.

CONCLUSION

contextual categories related to development and implementation stood out for their positive influence on the degree of implementation in the municipalities; we recommend intervention in the weaknesses found, in order to ensure program sustainability and institutionalization.

Family Health Support Center: health promotion, physical activity, and chronic diseases in Brazil - national PMAQ survey 2013

OBJECTIVE

to describe reported health promotion actions directed towards chronic non-communicable disease (CNCD) patients, the support of physical education professionals (PEP) and the implementation of actions to promote body practices and physical activity (BPPA) by the Family Health Support Center (FHSC) teams, according to Brazilian municipality context variables.

METHODS

this was a cross-sectional study, forming part of the 2013/2014 National Primary Health Care Access and Quality Improvement Program (PMAQ), by means of interviews with FHSC professionals.

RESULTS

the action most reported by the teams was evaluation and rehabilitation of psychosocial conditions (90.8%); promotion of BPPA was the sixth most performed action, and was more prevalent in the Brazilian Southeast region (89.6%), in medium-sized municipalities (88.7%), with medium human development index (HDI) (86.7%); PEP provided support to 87% of the teams.

CONCLUSION

FHSC were found to make an important contribution to BPPA.

[Occurrence of spinal disorders and associated factors among the elderly: a population study in a municipality in the deep south of Brazil]

The scope of this study was to estimate the prevalence of spinal disorders among the elderly and analyze potential associated factors. It involved a cross-sectional study of a sample of 1,593 elderly individuals aged 60 years or more residing in the urban area of Bagé, State of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to the "spinal disorders" outcome, demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral variables, health perception, functional activities and the use of health services were investigated. Data collection was conducted by means of face-to-face interviews. Poisson regression analysis with robust variance was used to verify the factors associated with the outcome analyzed. Of the 1,593 participants, 37.4% reported spinal disorders. The factors related to the outcome were: low level of schooling, poor self-assessment of health, consultation in the last three months and the presence of hypertension, rheumatism and fractures. Interventions for musculoskeletal health can contribute to reduce the damages caused by spinal disorders among the elderly, such as loss of functional capacity, increased demands for health care and reduced quality of life.