Capturing deaths not informed to the Ministry of Health: proactive search of deaths in Brazilian municipalities. / Captação de óbitos não informados ao Ministério da Saúde: pesquisa de busca ativa de óbitos em municípios brasileiros.

INTRODUCTION:: The proactive search of deaths is a strategy for capturing events that were not informed to the Mortality Information System of Ministry of Health. Its importance to reduce underreporting of deaths and to evaluate the operation of the information system is widely known. OBJECTIVE:: To describe the methodology and main findings of the Proactive Search of Deaths, 2013, establishing the contribution of different information sources. METHODS:: The research was carried out in 79 Brazilian municipalities. We investigated several official and unofficial sources of information about deaths of municipality residents. Every information source investigated and all cases found in each source were typed in an on-line panel. The second stage of the research was the confirmation of cases to verify information of year and residence and to complete missing information. For all confirmed cases, we estimated the completeness of death registration and correction factors according to the adequacy level of mortality information. RESULTS:: We found 2,265 deaths that were not informed to the Mortality Information System. From those, 49.3% were found in unofficial sources, cemeteries and funeral homes. In some rural municipalities, precarious burial conditions were found in cemeteries in the middle of the forest and no registration of the deceased. Correction factors were inversely associated to the adequacy level of mortality information. CONCLUSION:: The findings confirm the association between level of information adequacy and completeness of death registration, and indicate that the application of the proactive search is an effective method to capture deaths not informed to the Ministry of Health.

[Use of vital data to estimate mortality indicators in Brazil: from the active search for events to the development of methods]. / Utilização das informações vitais para a estimação de indicadores de mortalidade no Brasil: da busca ativa de eventos ao desenvolvimento de métodos.

The article addresses Brazil's historical development in the use of vital data, incorporating procedures for the evaluation of such data and research with active search of births and deaths, resulting in the proposal of methods for calculating birth and mortality indicators through the use of continuous records. In addition to research to capture vital events from the years 2000 and 2008, the article presents procedures for the correction of events reported to the information systems and the paradigm shift in the method for calculating mortality indicators, resulting from such initiatives. The study also features advances in the adequacy of information on deaths and live births in Brazil, changes in the estimates on infant mortality resulting from the proposed methods, and the challenge of estimating the indicator for subnational geographic areas with lower population contingents, mostly consisting of municipalities (counties) with low and irregular data coverage.

Determinants of infant mortality in the Jequitinhonha Valley and in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the social and demographic determinants, in addition to the determinants of reproductive health and use of health services, associated with infant mortality in small and medium-sized cities of the North, Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil. METHODS: This is a case-control study with 803 cases of death of children under one year and 1,969 live births (controls), whose mothers lived in the selected cities in 2008. The lists of the names of cases and controls were extracted from the Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade (SIM - Mortality Information System) and the Sistema de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC - Live Birth Information System) and supplemented by data obtained by the research of "active search of death and birth". Data was collected in the household using a semi-structured questionnaire, and the analysis was carried out using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The final model indicates that the following items are positively and significantly associated with infant mortality: family working in agriculture, mother having a history of fetal and infant losses, no prenatal or inadequate prenatal, and not being associated to the maternity hospital during the prenatal period. We have observed significant interactions to explain the occurrence of infant mortality between race and socioeconomic score and between high-risk pregnancy and pilgrimage for childbirth. CONCLUSIONS: The excessive number of home deliveries and pilgrimage for childbirth indicates flaws in the line of maternity care and a lack of collaboration between the levels of outpatient and hospital care. The study reinforces the need for an integrated management of the health care networks, leveraging the capabilities of cities in meeting the needs of pregnancy, delivery and birth with quality. OBJETIVO: Identificar os determinantes sociais, demográficos, da saúde reprodutiva e de utilização dos serviços de saúde associados ao óbito infantil em municípios de pequeno e médio porte das regiões Norte, Nordeste e Sudeste do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo caso-controle com 803 casos de óbito de menores de um ano e 1.969 nascidos vivos (controles), cujas mães residiam em 2008 nos municípios selecionados. As listas nominais dos casos e do controles foram extraídas do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade e do Sistema de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos e completadas por dados obtidos pela pesquisa de "busca ativa de óbito e nascimento". A coleta de dados foi realizada em domicílio por meio de questionário semiestruturado, e a análise, por meio de regressão logística múltipla. RESULTADOS: O modelo final indicou que estão associadas positivamente e significativamente ao óbito infantil: a família trabalhar na agricultura, a mãe ter tido história de perdas fetais e infantis, não ter feito pré-natal ou ter tido um pré-natal inadequado e não estar vinculada à maternidade durante o pré-natal. Foram observadas interações significativas para explicar a ocorrência do óbito infantil entre cor de pele e escore socioeconômico e entre gestação classificada como de risco e peregrinação para o parto. CONCLUSÕES: O número excessivo de partos domiciliares e de peregrinação para o parto indica falhas na linha de cuidado da gestante e desarticulação entre os níveis de atenção ambulatorial e hospitalar. O estudo reforça a necessidade de uma gestão integrada das redes de atenção à saúde, potencializando as capacidades municipais em atender, com qualidade, à gestação, ao parto e ao nascimento.

Alcohol abuse and involvement in traffic accidents in the Brazilian population, 2013. / Consumo abusivo de álcool e envolvimento em acidentes de trânsito na população brasileira, 2013.

Abstract This article aims to analyze alcohol abuse and frequent consumption according to sociodemographic characteristics and investigate the risk of greater involvement in traffic accidents, using data from the National Health Survey (PNS), 2013, Brazil. Events investigated were alcohol abuse and frequent consumption and if the individual was involved in a traffic accident and sustained an injury in the last 12 months. We investigated both events according to sociodemographic characteristics and assessed the association among them through multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of alcohol abuse and frequent consumption was 6.1% for the population aged 18 years and over, 8.9% among men and 3.6% among women. The prevalence of involvement in traffic accidents was 3.1% in the general population and 6.1% among those who reported alcohol abuse. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, alcohol abuse and frequent consumption was significantly associated with traffic accidents. Considering a higher risk of involvement in traffic accidents among individuals who reported alcohol abuse and frequent consumption, monitoring blood alcohol concentration of drivers becomes a strategic possibility of intervention.

Estimation of HIV incidence in two Brazilian municipalities, 2013.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate HIV incidence in two Brazilian municipalities, Recife and Curitiba, in the year of 2013. METHODS: The method for estimating incidence was based on primary information, resulting from the Lag-Avidity laboratory test for detection of recent HIV infections, applied in a sample of the cases diagnosed in the two cities in 2013. For the estimation of the HIV incidence for the total population of the cities, the recent infections detected in the research were annualized and weighted by the inverse of the probability of HIV testing in 2013 among the infected and not diagnosed cases. After estimating HIV incidence for the total population, the incidence rates were estimated by sex, age group, and exposure category. RESULTS: In Recife, 902 individuals aged 13 years and older were diagnosed with HIV infection. From these, 528 were included in the study, and the estimated proportion of recent infections was 13.1%. In Curitiba, 1,013 people aged 13 years and older were diagnosed, 497 participated in the study, and the proportion of recent infections was 10.5%. In Recife, the estimated incidence rate was 53.1/100,000 inhabitants of 13 years and older, while in Curitiba, it was 41.1/100,000, with male-to-female ratio of 3.5 and 2.4, respectively. We observed high rates of HIV incidence among men who have sex with men, of 1.47% in Recife and 0.92% in Curitiba. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in the two cities showed that the group of men who have sex with men are disproportionately subject to a greater risk of new infections, and indicate that strategies to control the spread of the epidemic in this population subgroup are essential and urgent. OBJETIVO: Estimar a incidência de HIV em dois municípios brasileiros, Recife e Curitiba, no ano de 2013. MÉTODOS: O método de estimação da incidência foi baseado em informações primárias, resultantes do ensaio laboratorial Lag-Avidity para detecção de infecções recentes do HIV, aplicado em uma amostra dos casos diagnosticados nas duas cidades em 2013. Para a estimação da incidência de HIV para a população total das cidades, as infecções recentes detectadas na pesquisa foram anualizadas e ponderadas pelo inverso da probabilidade de teste de HIV no ano de 2013 entre os casos infectados e não diagnosticados. Após a estimação da incidência de HIV para a população total, foram estimadas as taxas de incidência por sexo, faixa de idade e categoria de exposição. RESULTADOS: Em Recife, foram diagnosticados 902 indivíduos de 13 anos e mais com infecção de HIV. Desses, 528 foram incluídos no estudo, e a proporção estimada de infecções recentes foi de 13,1%. Em Curitiba, foram diagnosticadas 1.013 pessoas de 13 anos e mais, 497 participaram do estudo, e a proporção de infecções recentes foi de 10,5%. Em Recife, a taxa de incidência estimada foi de 53,1 por 100 mil habitantes de 13 anos e mais, enquanto em Curitiba, de 41,1 por 100 mil, com razão do sexo masculino para o feminino de 3,5 e 2,4, respectivamente. Foram evidenciadas elevadas taxas de incidência de HIV entre homens que fazem sexo com homens, de 1,47% em Recife e 0,92% em Curitiba. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados obtidos nas duas cidades mostraram que o grupo dos homens que fazem sexo com homens está desproporcionalmente sujeito ao maior risco de novas infecções, e indicam que estratégias para controle da disseminação da epidemia nesse subgrupo populacional são essenciais e urgentes.

[Infant mortality estimation in Brazil: what do Ministry of Health data on deaths and live births say?]. / Estimação da mortalidade infantil no Brasil: o que dizem as informações sobre óbitos e nascimentos do Ministério da Saúde?

A methodological approach to infant mortality estimation in Brazil based on vital information provided by Ministry of Health systems is presented. The study evaluated the available data to establish criteria for identifying municipalities with serious data deficiencies, proposing an adequacy index. All municipalities were classified in strata according to geographic region and adequacy of information. To estimate infant mortality by macro-geographic region, in 1998, direct calculation was performed in strata with adequate information. The United Nations model was used in the other geographic strata. The Brazilian North presented the most deficient information, with 63% of the municipalities presenting inadequate reporting (35% of the regional population), followed by the Northeast (29% of the population). In the South, only 1% of the population showed inadequate information. For the whole country, 12% of the population presented serious problems in completeness of death reports. The adequacy index varied from -28% in Maranhão to 94% in Rio de Janeiro. The infant mortality rate was estimated in the interval 30.7-32.6 per 1,000 live births and the completeness of infant deaths from 61.8% to 65.6%.