Factors associated with multibacillary leprosy in a region of northeastern Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: The analysis of factors associated with multibacillary leprosy is important for the development of strategies to mitigate the disease, which persists as a public health problem in Brazil and the world. The objective of this study was to verify the associations between sociodemographic and clinical-epidemiological variables and multibacillary leprosy in the state of northeastern Brazil. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional, analytical, and retrospective study, with a quantitative approach, carried out in 16 municipalities in the southwest of Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil. All cases of leprosy reported between January 2008 and December 2017 were considered. Sociodemographic and clinical-epidemiological variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The identification of the risk factors associated with multibacillary leprosy was conducted using Poisson regression models. The prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated using regression coefficients at a 5% significance level. RESULTS: A total of 3,903 leprosy cases were analyzed. Individuals older than 15 years, males, with less than 8 years of education, with level I, II, or "not evaluated" disability, and with type 1 or 2 or both reactional states were more likely to have multibacillary leprosy. Therefore, these characteristics may be considered risk factors. No protective factors were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The investigation revealed important associations between risk factors and multibacillary leprosy. The findings can be considered during the creation of strategies to control and combat the disease.

Vulnerable territories to tuberculosis-diabetes mellitus comorbidity in a northeastern Brazilian scenario.

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological investigations on tuberculosis-diabetes comorbidity using spatial analysis should be encouraged towards a more comprehensive view of the health of individuals affected by such comorbidity in different contexts. This study analyzes the territories vulnerable to tuberculosis-diabetes comorbidity in a municipality in northeastern Brazil using spatial analysis techniques. METHODS: An ecological study was carried out in Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil. Tuberculosis-diabetes cases reported in the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed. Kernel density estimation and spatial scanning techniques were used to identify the areas with the greatest occurrence of spatial clusters. RESULTS: A heterogeneous spatial distribution was found, ranging from 0.00 to 4.12 cases/km2. The spatial scanning analysis revealed three high-risk spatial clusters with statistical significance (p < 0.05), involving eleven strictly urban sectors with a relative risk of 4.00 (95% CI: 2.60-6.80), 5.10 (95% CI: 2.75-7.30), and 6.10 (95% CI: 3.21-8.92), indicating that the population living in these areas had a high risk of tuberculosis-diabetes comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The highest concentration of cases/km2, as well as risk clusters, were found in areas with high circulation of people and socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities. Such findings reinforce the need for public health interventions to reduce social inequalities.

Risk factors associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis in prisons in Sao Paulo State, Brazil (2006-2016).

INTRODUCTION: Prisons are high-risk settings for drug-resistant tuberculosis because the prevalence of the tuberculosis (TB) is much higher than in the general population. This study to investigated the factors associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis in prisons in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective cohort of drug-resistant TB cases for incarcerated people in São Paulo state, reported in the Tuberculosis Patient Control System between 2006 and 2016. To analyze the factors associated with drug-resistant TB, the backward method (likelihood ratio) was used, determining the adjusted odds ratio and respective 95%CI coefficients. Multiple models were proposed to adjust for potential confusion and interaction. The best fit model was selected based on the lowest Akaike information criterion coefficient. RESULTS: In total, 473 drug-resistant tuberculosis cases were reported in the prison population of Sao Paulo state, the majority were male. The cases that presented negative results for sputum smear and sputum culture had, respectively, an aOR=0.6 and aOR=0.16 for drug-resistant tuberculosis in relation to the cases with positive results. The cases where the patient had AIDS and reported alcoholism, respectively, an aOR=1.47 and aOR=1.60 for drug-resistant TB. Individuals with a background treatment history for TB presented a stronger association with drug-resistant tuberculosis, aOR=35.08. CONCLUSIONS: Sputum spear, sputum culture, chest X-ray, AIDS, alcoholism and background treatment history for TB were factors associated with resistance to antituberculosis drugs among prisoners. This is useful for the implementation of disease control measures related to the detection and monitoring of cases in the prison system.

[Magnitude of social determinants in the risk of death from tuberculosis in Central-west Brazil]. / Magnitud de los determinantes sociales en el riesgo de mortalidad por tuberculosis en el Centro-Oeste de Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the magnitude of social determinants in areas of risk of mortality due to tuberculosis in a high incidence city. METHOD: Ecological study, which recruited the cases of tuberculosis deaths registered between 2006 and 2016 in the capital of Mato Grosso-Brazil. The social determinants were obtained from the Human Development Units. Sweep statistics were used to identify areas of risk of mortality due to tuberculosis. Principal component analysis was carried out to identify dimensions of social determinants. Multiple logistic regression was applied to verify associations between the dimensions of social determinants and the risk of mortality from tuberculosis. A 5% error was fixed. The standard error was established at 5% for all statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of 225 deaths due to tuberculosis were registered in the period, distributed heterogeneously in the space. A cluster of risk for tuberculosis mortality was identified, with RR=2.09 (95%CI: 1.48-2.94; p=0.04). Social determinants, low educational level and poverty were associated with the risk of mortality due to tuberculosis (OR: 2.92; 95%CI: 1.17-7.28). Income had a negative association with the risk of mortality due to tuberculosis (OR: 0.05; 95%CI: 0.00-0.70). The value of the ROC curve of the model was 92.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed that the risk of mortality due to tuberculosis is a problem associated with social determinants. Health policies and social protection programmes can collaborate to address this problem.