Spatial analysis of diarrheal diseases in Vale do Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

The study of the spatial patterns of transmission of intestinal infectious diseases allows the development of methodologies to control the dispersion of these diseases. The aim of this study was to identify spatial patterns of hospitalization by diarrheal disease in the Paraíba Valley, Sao Paulo, Brazil, using geoprocessing techniques. The hospitalization records were obtained from DATASUS and analysed by rates, Human Development Index (HDI), sanitation and water coverage percentages; the data were analyzed using the TerraView software. The global Moran coefficient was used to identify spatial clusters. It was possible to identify a spatial cluster in the central region of the Paraiba Valley and in the region of the Mantiqueira Mountains. Correlation between hospitalization by diarrhea and other variables was not observed. The diarrhea is a multifactorial disease, but geoprocessing approach may provide subsidies to implement policies to minimize this problem for the public health service.