Análise por dados em painel do status de saúde no Nordeste Brasileiro

Abstract

OBJECTIVE : To analyze the determinants of health status in every state in the Northeast of Brazil . METHODS: Using the methodology of panel data with aggregated information for municipalities . The data include the years 1991 and 2000 , and were obtained in the Atlas of Human Development Programme of the United Nations Development Programme , and the National Treasury . It was used as an indicator of health status , the infant mortality rate , and how crucial variables : spending on health and sanitation per capita numbers of doctors per thousand population , access to clean water , fertility rate and illiteracy , percentage adolescent mothers , per capita income and the Gini index. RESULTS : The infant mortality rates in the Northeast fell by 31.8 percent in the period studied, slightly higher than the figure for the national average . However , in some states , such as Rio Grande do Norte , Bahia , Ceará and Alagoas , the reduction was more significant . This can be attributed to improvement in some indicators which are the main determinants of the reduction of infant mortality rate : greater access to education , reduction of fertility rates , increased income , and access to water . CONCLUSIONS : The states that showed greater gains in access to drinking water, education , income and reduction of fertility rates were also those who had greater gains in reducing mortality in children under one year of age . ( AU )