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IJE Advance Access published online on May 24, 2008
International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/ije/dyn088
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Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2008; all rights reserved.

Morbidity and mortality in Brazilian municipalities: a multilevel study of the association between socioeconomic and healthcare indicators

Luciana Tricai Cavalini1,* and Antonio Carlos Monteiro Ponce de Leon2

1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Community Health, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ—Brazil 24033-900.
2Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Medicine, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524—7th floor, Rio de Janeiro, RJ—Brazil 20550-900.

* Corresponding author. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Community Health, Fluminense Federal University, Rua Marquês de Paraná 303—Annex HUAP 3rd floor, Niterói, RJ—Brazil, 24033-900. E-mail: lutricav{at}vm.uff.br


  Abstract

Background Socioeconomic and healthcare indicators are major determinants of health outcomes. The impact of social and healthcare inequalities on Brazilian morbidity and mortality indicators is of concern but it is not well studied.

Methods A multilevel ecological study was performed in order to investigate the association between a set of socioeconomic and healthcare indicators and five morbidity and mortality outcomes. Datasets were presented at three hierarchical levels: local (lower level), regional (intermediate level) and state (higher level). A Poisson regression model was estimated for each outcome with random intercept and fixed regression coefficients for independent variables at the three levels. The magnitude of outcome variability at intermediate and higher levels was assessed for all models.

Results All outcomes were associated with both socioeconomic and healthcare variables, with predominance of associations at the local level. General and high-complexity healthcare infrastructures were directly associated with indicators related to later stages of the demographic and epidemiological transition process. A mild effect on morbidity and mortality related to political voting patterns was found at the local level.

Conclusions Healthcare conditions and socioeconomic indicators are associated with health outcomes in a complex way at the local level in Brazil, but part of the variability of health outcomes is related to factors operating at higher levels. Some possible interaction effects and cross-sectional design limitations of this study must be considered.

Keywords Morbidity, mortality, inequalities, healthcare, cross-sectional studies

Accepted 21 April 2008


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