The reemergence, spread, and persistence of dengue are currently challenging the Brazilian health system. Factors related to living conditions have been addressed to understand different health outcomes. This study examines the occurrence of dengue and its relationship to living conditions in the city of Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro State, from 1996 to 2004. Data on dengue occurrence were obtained from the Brazilian National Disease Notification System (SINAN). A composite indicator of socioeconomic and urban infrastructure variables was created to characterize the prevailing living conditions, using 2000 census data. Operations between layers were used to identify spatial associations between the composite indicator and dengue incidence by neighborhood. The results do not show a linear relationship between poor living conditions and disease occurrence, but the spatial patterns indicated greater susceptibility of areas with inequalities in living conditions and behind highway access routes. The results also suggest that such inequalities can influence the dengue time trend. Thus, models that consider the interaction between socioeconomic variables (and not only the quantification of social indicators) can be useful for dengue surveillance.
Dengue; Social Conditions; Spatial Analysis
