Article Text
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the correlation between socioeconomic and healthcare factors and cervical cancer mortality rates, as well as the accessibility to prevention and treatment across Brazilian states and macroregions. The aim is to highlight the multifaceted challenge of addressing cervical cancer mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed public data from the Brazilian National Institute of Cancer (INCA), the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Data were collected on indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI), physician density, average household income, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage, Pap smear screening rates, radiotherapy machine density, and non-White population rates by state and macroregion across Brazil. Spearman’s rank correlation test and simple linear regression analysis were employed.
Results Cervical cancer mortality rates are statistically lower in women with health insurance, positive self-perception of health, located in states with a higher HDI, per capita household income, density of physicians, and radiotherapy machines per 1000 inhabitants. In contrast, mortality rates proportionally increase according to poverty levels, as expected, and rates of non-White population. Considering public health, HDI scores significantly affected Pap smear test coverage, the number of radiotherapy machines, and HPV vaccine uptake. The North and the Southeast regions have, respectively, the lowest and the highest socioeconomic indicators, proportional to their mortality rates. No significant correlation was found between mortality rates and HPV vaccine or Pap smear coverage.
Conclusions Cervical cancer mortality in Brazil is significantly influenced by socioeconomic and healthcare disparities. This study provides a data-driven basis for public health strategies that address both medical and social determinants of health.
- Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Data availability statement
Data are available in a public, open access repository.
Statistics from Altmetric.com
Data availability statement
Data are available in a public, open access repository.
Footnotes
X @juoliveira_md
Contributors Study conception and design: ASF, GRR. Data collection: GRR, MESP. Analysis and interpretation of results: ASF, GRR, MESP, GLN. Draft manuscript preparation: ASF, GRR, MESP, GLN, JAO, RM-M, AN-R, ATT, ECB. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript. ASF is responsible for the overall content as the guarantor. ChatGPT was used as a writing assistant, providing word suggestions, and correcting grammar and spelling in a few passages. No artificial intelligence (AI) tool was used as a source of information and all data provided are adequately referenced in the main text.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
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Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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