Hospitalizations in adults due to hypertension and diabetes and the Brazil's Family Health Strategy

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are a major cause of morbidity among adults in Brazil. Such diseases are public health priorities and individuals affected rely on the national governmental primary health care program called Family Health Strategy to control its effects. The aim was to analyze hospitalization tendencies in diabetic and hypertensive adults and the program coverage (FHSC) in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. 

METHODS:  Secondary data of diabetes mellitus and hypertension hospitalizations registered between 2001 and 2012 among adults of São Paulo comprised an ecological study. Data sources were Hospital Information System, Primary Care Information System of Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Historical series by descriptive analysis, exponential and linear regression were constructed.

RESULTS:  The FHSC average proportion was 17.7 and increased 29.3% per year (R²=0.86). The diabetes mellitus and hypertension hospitalization average rates per 100.000 inhabitants were respectively 55.6 and 74.4. Hospitalizations’ rates decreased annually by 1.5% (R²=0.47) for diabetes mellitus and by 1.0% (R²=0.80) for hypertension. For each one point increase in FHSC there was an average decrease of 15.7% in diabetes mellitus hospitalization rate (R²=0.37) and an average decrease of 1.6% in hypertension hospitalization rate (R²=0.24).

CONCLUSIONS:  The trends over time revealed much wanted changes in the rates of hospital admission for diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The coverage growth of Brazil’s Family Health Strategy may have contributed to this outcome. As those health problems are of high priority for primary health care, results suggested the benefits of Family Health Strategy in controlling preventable complications of diabetes mellitus and hypertension and in reducing unnecessary hospitalization by these illnesses.