Birth statistics and maternal and infant risk factors in the micro-regions of Northeast Brazil: A factor analysis study

Abstract

Historically, birth registration in Northeast Brazil has presented serious quality problems, with major regional variations and gaps in knowledge. The current study proposes to evaluate the quality of birth records and identify patterns of relationships between variables that reflect maternal and infant factors in the birth certificates and allow summarizing the data on live births in the 188 micro-regions of the Northeast in 2000, based on factor analysis. Data on live births were collected through the Information System on Live Births (SINASC). In general, regional distribution of birth coverage suggests an increase in the southern States of the Northeast. Quality of completion of variables in the micro-regions of the Northeast was considered satisfactory. In the factor analysis, data for the variables were reduced to two factors: favorable and unfavorable to delivery.