Social deprivation index and lymphatic filariasis: a tool for mapping urban areas at risk in northeastern Brazil

Bonfim, Cristine; Aguiar-Santos, Ana Maria; Pedroza, Dinilson; Costa, Tadeu Rodrigues; Portugal, José Luiz; Oliveira, Conceição; Medeiros, Zulma

doi:10.1016/j.inhe.2009.06.007

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Volume 1, Issue 1 , Pages 78-84, September 2009

Social deprivation index and lymphatic filariasis: a tool for mapping urban areas at risk in northeastern Brazil

Cristine Bonfim
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz., Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, 50670-420, PE, Brazil
- Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, Ministério da Educação, Rua Dois Irmãos, 92, Apipucos, Recife, 52071-440, PE, Brazil
- Corresponding author. Rua Dois Irmãos, 92 - Ed. Anexo Anízio Teixeira. Apipucos, Recife, Pernambuco. Brazil. CEP: 52071-440. Tel.: +55 81 3073 6576; fax: +55 81 3073 6509.
Ana Maria Aguiar-Santos
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz., Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, 50670-420, PE, Brazil
Dinilson Pedroza Jr.
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, Praça João Gonçalves de Souza, Sn, Recife, PE, Brazil
- Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, Rua do Príncipe Sn, bloco G, 5 andar, DEA, Recife, PE, Brazil
Tadeu Rodrigues Costa
- Departamento de Estatística e Informática, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Avenida D. Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, 52171-900, PE, Brazil
José Luiz Portugal
- Departamento de Engenharia Cartográfica. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, 2° andar, DECart, Cidade Universitária, Recife, 50740-530, PE, Brazil
Conceição Oliveira
- Secretaria de Saúde do Recife. Prefeitura do Recife, Rua Major Codeceira, 194, Edifício Julião Pedro da Silva, Santo Amaro, Recife, 50100-070, PE, Brazil
Zulma Medeiros
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz., Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, 50670-420, PE, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Pernambuco, Rua Arnóbio Marques, 310, Santo. Amaro, Campus Universitário, Recife, 50100-130, PE, Brazil

Received 22 April 2009; received in revised form 4 June 2009; accepted 22 June 2009.

Summary

This paper describes the construction and application of a social deprivation index that was created to explore the relationship between lymphatic filariasis and socioenvironmental variables in the municipality of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Pernambuco, Brazil, thereby contributing towards identifying priority areas for interventions. This indicator was obtained from principal-component factor analysis. Variables available from the national census representing socioenvironmental conditions, household characteristics and urban services were used. Epidemiological data came from a parasitological survey on lymphatic filariasis. 23673 individuals were examined and 323 were positive (1.4%). Two factors that together explained 80.61% of the total variance were selected. The social deprivation strata were capable of indicating a risk gradient, with 74.9% of the microfilaremia cases situated in the high-risk stratum. Principal-component factor analysis was shown to be sensitive for selecting indicators associated with the risk of lymphatic filariasis transmission and for detecting areas potentially at risk. The capacity of the social deprivation index for picking up social inequalities qualifies it as a new tool for use in planning interventions aimed at controlling lymphatic filariasis in urban spaces.