Space-temporal analysis of the incidence of tuberculosis in primary care

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze the spatial distribution of the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the adscritas areas of a family health unit, in the municipality of Belém-PA, in the period of 2010 to 2015. Methods: Retrospective ecological descriptive study with quantitative approach. The data collection was held next to the Municipal Health Secretary of Bethlehem. Statistical technique was used, chi-squared partition to highlight the significance between possible unequal dimensions of variables and geostatistical, through the Kernel technique that allowed to detect where the events were concentrated. Results: Data analysis revealed the largest occurrence of cases in the year of 2012 (25.1%) and the smallest in 2010 (6.8%). The highest prevalence of male TB (70.45%) was observed, Brown (77.3%), age between 14-25 years (27.3%) and schooling until incomplete elementary school (22.7%). Despite the contribution of the Community Health Agents (ACS) to the location of the addresses, it was only possible to GeoCode 95% of the new cases. It has also been observed that the disease is distributed in a heterogeneous way, demonstrating inequalities in the analyzed areas, with spatial agglomeration of cases in traditionally more deprived areas of the region. The study provided the epidemiological knowledge of the area, providing elements to construct the explanatory chain of the problems encountered, aiding in the decision-making of public managers. Conclusion: The techniques used have allowed to identify areas of vulnerability to the illness, and their recognition is indispensable to direct public policies to confront and control the disease.