Using spatial analysis to identify areas vulnerable to infant mortality

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the spatial distribution of infant mortality and identify clusters with high risk of death in the first year of life. METHODS: The Thiessen (Voronoi) polygon method was used to analyze spatial distribution of the infant mortality rate, calculated by municipality. The triennium...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mirella Rodrigues, Cristine Bonfim, José Luiz Portugal, Idê Gomes Dantas Gurgel, Zulma Medeiros
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Spanish
Portuguese
Published: Pan American Health Organization 2013
Subjects:
Mortalidad infantil
análisis espacial
sistemas de información geográfica
Brasil
Medicine
R
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Arctic
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/dd5a362980a84895885b4b8b53a05441
Description
Summary:OBJECTIVE: To analyze the spatial distribution of infant mortality and identify clusters with high risk of death in the first year of life. METHODS: The Thiessen (Voronoi) polygon method was used to analyze spatial distribution of the infant mortality rate, calculated by municipality. The triennium 2006 - 2008 was used as a reference to estimate the average infant mortality rate, and the first analysis of the spatial distribution of the rate was performed to test for first-order spatial stationarity. The spatial pattern was then analyzed using Moran's index and G-statistic (α = 5%). RESULTS: The surface projections on trends showed that infant mortality is not constant in space. The Moran index (0.34, P < 0.01) and G-statistic (0.03, P < 0.01) confirmed a spatial autocorrelation between infant mortality and clusters when the Thiessen polygon method was used. CONCLUSIONS: The Voronoi polygons proved accurate for spatial analysis of infant mortality and were predictive of clusters with high risk of death in the first year of life.

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