Admissions due to pneumonia and biomass burning: a spatial approach

Author(s)

Nascimento, Luiz Fernando C. ^{[1, 2, 3]} ; Peneluppi de Medeiros, Andrea Paula ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Taubate, Dept Med, Taubate, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Taubate, Programa Posgrad Ciencias Ambientais, Taubate, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Jornal de Pediatria; v. 88, n. 2, p. 177-183, MAR-APR 2012.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

Objective: To identify spatial patterns in rates of admission for pneumonia among children and relate them to the number of fires reported in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methods: We conducted an ecological and exploratory study of data from the state of Mato Grosso for 2008 and 2009 on hospital admissions of children aged 0 to 4 years due to pneumonia and on fires in the same period. Admission rates were calculated and choropleth maps were plotted for rates and for fire outbreaks, Moran's I was calculated and the kernel estimator used to identify ``hotspots.{''} Data were analyzed using TerraView 3.3.1. Results: Fifteen thousand six hundred eighty-nine children were hospitalized (range zero to 2,315), and there were 161,785 fires (range 7 to 6,454). The average rate of admissions per 1,000 inhabitants was 2.89 (standard deviation {[}SD] = 5.18) and the number of fires per 1,000 inhabitants was 152.81 (SD = 199.91). Moran's I for the overall number of admissions was I = 0.02 (p = 0.26), the index for rate of admission was I = 0.02 (p = 0.21) and the index for the number of fires was I = 0.31 (p < 0.01). It proved possible to identify four municipalities with elevated rates of admissions for pneumonia. It was also possible to identify two regions with high admission densities. A clustering of fires was evident along what is known as the ``arc of deforestation.{''} Conclusions: This study identified municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso that require interventions to reduce rates of admission due to pneumonia and the number fires. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/04490-4 - Combustion of tropical forest biomass
• Grantee: João Andrade de Carvalho Junior
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants