Socioeconomic deprivation and rurality indicators: Tools for the planning and research in health among the Brazilian towns
De Oliveira Mendes TC., Marí-Dell’Olmo M., Uribe AP., Lima KC., De Lima ALB., Borrell C., Sanz MR.
This ecological study seeks to construct and make available some socioeconomic indicators about the Brazilian towns and, then, to analyze them in detail and compare them to the life expectancy. Based on secondary data from 2010, the indicators were constructed in three stages: theoretical stage; univariate and bivariate statistical analysis and main component analysis; and application of indicators according to a spatial analysis and comparison to the life expectancy. Thirteen (13) variables were selected to construct two indicators: socioeconomic deprivation indicator (IPS) and rurality indicator (IR), IPS being the higher in relation to the life expectancy. It showed a spatial division of the country in two areas: a lower area with better socioeconomic advantage and a higher area with greater vulnerability. The IR indicator complements the IPS one, thus showing that the towns with a greater socioeconomic deprivation and a higher rurality indicator show a lower life expectancy. This way, the IPS and IR indicators reported 2149 towns with higher care needs, particularly those located in the northern and north-eastern regions.