Temporal trend and spatial distribution of gestational and congenital syphilis in Brazil, period 2008-2018
Syphilis. Prenatal Care. Treponema Pallidum. Ecological Study. Spatial Distribution.
Introduction: Syphilis has become a public health problem in several regions of the world. Objective: To analyze the temporal trend and spatial distribution of gestational and congenital syphilis in Brazil, from 2008 to 2018. Method: This is a study of different methods. 1) Time series study of the detection rate of gestational syphilis and correlation between socioeconomic and health service variables. Data were extracted from publicly accessible national databases. The Joinpoint Regression software and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used. 2) Ecological study of spatial analysis of the detection rate of gestational syphilis and spatial correlation between socioeconomic variables and health services. Extracted secondary data, aggregated in 482 Immediate Urban Articulation Regions. GeoDa software was used. 3) Ecological study of temporal trends and spatial distribution of the incidence rate of congenital syphilis and spatial correlation between socioeconomic variables and health services. Secondary data extracted. Joinpoint Regression and GeoDa software were used. 4) Protocol for a scoping review with the objective of proposing a protocol to identify and map the use of Spatial Analysis as a tool in research on syphilis in the health area. It was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute manual and guided by PRISMA-ScR. Results: In the first study, the South region showed the greatest trend; while the Midwest, smaller. Correlation detected with the Municipal Human Development Index, illiteracy rate, percentage of primary health care coverage and proportion of doctors, nurses and basic health units per inhabitant. In the second study, the detection rate of gestational syphilis was unevenly distributed and showed a spatial correlation with the Municipal Human Development Index, percentage of primary care coverage and proportion of physicians per population. In the third study, the incidence rate of congenital syphilis showed an upward trend and uneven distribution. It showed a spatial correlation with the percentage of individuals with inadequate water supply and sanitation and the percentage of live births with 1 to 3 prenatal consultations. The fourth study explained the research question, the databases for searches, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction worksheet and the type of data analysis. Final considerations: Investments in health and social policies are necessary to mitigate social vulnerabilities and strengthen primary health care for syphilis control.