Gender and age differences in the completion of the schooling items in surveillance forms in Brazilian state capitals with higher dengue incidence, 2008-2017

Abstract

Brazil is among the countries of the world with the most dengue cases. Case reporting systems are essential for monitoring the disease’s evolution, but few reporting forms are properly completed. Knowledge of the patients’ schooling level is important for understanding the role of social inequality in the risk of illness. The article aims to describe the completion of the schooling item on dengue notification forms provided by Brazilian Information System on Diseases of Notification (SINAN) from 2008 to 2017, according to sex and age bracket in the state capitals of the Northeast and Southeast regions. The target outcome was the completion of the schooling item on the reporting form. The predicted probabilities of completion of the schooling item were obtained with multilevel logistic models. Completion was low in the state capitals (less than 30% in eight of them). The odds of having the schooling item completed decreased with age, independently of the patient’s sex and the reporting year. Women up to 60 years showed higher odds than men of completion of the schooling item. Overall, men showed 9% lower odds of having the schooling item completed, compared to women. The model with interaction showed an increase in the difference, that is, the completion rate decreased with advancing age, especially among women. Given the above, incomplete dengue reporting forms lead to insufficient and dubious data. Although schooling is not fully appreciated at the moment of completing the reporting form, it is essential information in the context of dengue surveillance.