SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF MORTALITY IN CHILDBEARING-AGE WOMEN IN PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL, 2005-2010

INTRODUCTION:  Childbearing-age women are those between 10 and 49 years or which are in the interval between menarche and menopause. The knowledge of health indicators related to this population is critical to the planning of public health of the woman. Thus, the objective was to analyze the spatial distribution and mortality of childbearing-age women in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, between 2005 and 2010.

METHODS:  Ecological study using the municipalities of the state of Pernambuco, as units of analysis, was conducted. The outcome was the Mortality Rate of Childbearing-age Women (MRCW), residents in Pernambuco between 2005 and 2010. Spatial dependence tests were applied to identify the structure coefficients of spatial correlation that best describe the data. We used the Global Moran Index and then the Local Moran Index. Accession to the normal curve was performed, and then we constructed the correlation matrix of Pearson to identify possible associations between socioeconomic, demographic, morbidity indicators and MRCW.

RESULTS:  The average MRCW was 110 deaths per 100,000. There was a positive correlation with the unemployment rate in the population aged 16 and older. Negative correlation with the number of Family Health Teams for every 1,000 childbearing-age women. Spatial dependence was significant, with an index value of 0.234 (p = 0.001). Risk areas were the South Forest, the Central Wasteland and Wilderness of Itaparica.

CONCLUSIONS:  The study of mortality among childbearing-age women is a good chance of understanding the women's health and, indirectly, of maternal mortality. Public policies should continue to be implemented and evaluated for this demographic group, historically vulnerable, especially in northeastern Brazil.