Geografia, ambiente e saúde: correlações entre o clima e a incidência de doenças respiratórias em Maracanaú/CE

Abstract

The research had as aimed identify and characterize, spatiotemporally, possible associations between climatic conditions of Maracanaú, in the state of Ceará, and the incidence of respiratory diseases in its population between 2000 and 2010. For this, data were obtained from hospital admissions for respiratory in the Secretary of State Health (SESA), and data related the climatic variables (mean temperature, maximum and minimum daily and monthly, Precipitation and relative humidity) with the Foundation Cearense of Meteorology (FUNCEME) and the Institute National of Meteorology (INMET). These data were correlated using graphs and statistical tests of correlation and linear regression. The analysis revealed the existence of certain patterns between the years analyzed, revealing significant seasonality of cases of respiratory morbidity. It was observed that the greatest number of hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses (DAR) occurred between the months of May and September, in other words, late fall and winter. This period is characterized by less frequent rainfall, relative humidity of air with larger variations, small, but significant decreases in mean temperature, with the lowest values of the year. The daily analysis expressed the same pattern observed in the monthly analysis, not pointing significant variations with respect to days or weather events specific. The statistical tests indicated the existence of associations between some of the climatic elements analyzed and the hospitalizations, but these correlations were not significant enough to conclude a linear relationship between the variables. Were also made maps of the spatial distribution of the diseases that showed some municipal sectors with the highest concentration of hospitalization. The search can then provide data that can assist public health managers to better prepare hospitals and their medical staffs, to receive the population that fills hospitals and clinics affected by respiratory diseases in certain periods of the year.