Tuberculosis and its associated factors in a city in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro

ABSTRACT: Introduction: The occurrence of tuberculosis has been related to the spatial organization and improvement of the living conditions of the population. However, this relationship is not directly related and tuberculosis illness involves processes at different levels of organization. Method: An ecological study analyzing the relationship between living conditions and tuberculosis in the city of Niteroi, Brazil. Two indicators, socio-environmental and programmatic, were created by factor analysis and analyzed by regression in the period of 2008 to 2012. Thematic maps were constructed to examine the distribution pattern of the incidence rate and indicators in the city. Results: The results showed a direct and significant association of the two indicators with the incidence rate of tuberculosis. A one-unit higher the programmatic indicator was associated with a 7% higher incidence rate. The socio-environmental indicator was associated with a 27% higher tuberculosis rate. Discussion: The results of the present study were consistent with the direct relationship between tuberculosis and living conditions in the city of Niteroi. Conclusion: We can conclude that the dynamics of tuberculosis transmission in Niteroi can be explained by the occurrence of the disease in areas of consolidated social periphery and by the social vulnerability of specific groups.