Spacial conglomerates of mortality by suicide in northeast Brazil and its relationship with socioeconomic indicators

Abstract

Objective   to evaluate the spatial distribution of mortality by suicide in the northeast of Brazil and its relationship with social and economic indicators, seeking to identify the distribution pattern distribution through a geostatistical analysis.

Method   This is an ecological study that used suicide death data from 2000 to 2014 recorded in the Mortality Information System. Global and local Moran tests were applied for spatial autocorrelation analysis, and the bivariate LISA analysis was used to evaluate the spatial correlation between the suicide mortality rate and the independent variables.

Results   The results showed that mortality due to suicide in the Northeast has poor spatial autocorrelation (I = 0.2608), although there is strong spatial autocorrelation for most of the analyzed variables. In the spatial bivariate analysis, the variables presented a Moran LISA Index close to zero, such as HDI (I = 0.025), Aging (I = 0.146) and Illiteracy (I = 0.06). Spatial bivariate analysis showed that there is no spatial autocorrelation between socioeconomic variables and standardized mortality rates y suicide.

Conclusion   It is concluded that suicide mortality in the northeast of Brazil is randomly distributed and has no spatial relationship with socioeconomic variables.

Keywords:  mortality; suicide; medical geography; inequalities in health; social determinants of health