Avaliação da internações hospitalares por anemia e desnutrição na região

Abstract

Introduction: Hospital malnutrition is a global public health issue and has been the subject of study since the 1990s. Anemia, considered an indicator of malnutrition, can affect individuals of all ages. Objective: To analyze the distribution of hospital admissions due to anemia and malnutrition in the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista (RMBS) between 2015 and 2019, identifying possible associations with demographic factors such as place of residence, age group, sex, and race/skin color. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and analytical study using secondary data on hospital admissions from the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) of residents in the RMBS diagnosed with anemia or malnutrition. The data refer to the period from January 2015 to December 2019. Descriptive analyses of all study variables were performed, stratified by ZIP code and municipality of residence, race/skin color, sex, and age group, in terms of absolute and relative values. To test associations between qualitative variables, Pearson’s Chi-square test and/or Fisher’s exact test were used. The significance level for all tests was 5%, and the statistical software used was SPSS 24.0 for Windows. Results: A total of 378,689 hospitalizations were recorded in the RMBS during the study period, of which 1,067 were due to anemia and 740 due to malnutrition. Anemia was the leading cause of hospitalization in five cities of the RMBS. There was a statistically significant association between living in São Vicente and being hospitalized for anemia (p=0.000). Although both sexes presented higher hospitalization rates for anemia, women accounted for 61% of these cases (Fisher’s exact test, p=0.045). Anemia was more prevalent than malnutrition across all racial groups, although no statistical association was found. Children under one year of age accounted for 85% of hospitalizations due to malnutrition; in older age groups, anemia-related hospitalizations increased, peaking between ages 36 and 60 (p=0.000). With aging, the number of hospitalizations due to malnutrition increased proportionally with age. ZIP codes 11335000 (São Vicente/Planalto Bela Vista), 11740000 (Itanhaém/Centro), and 11750000 (Peruíbe/Balneário Arpoador) recorded the highest absolute numbers of hospitalizations due to anemia. ZIP code 11335000 (São Vicente/Planalto Bela Vista) also recorded the highest number of hospitalizations due to malnutrition. Conclusion: Anemia and malnutrition remain significant public health challenges in the RMBS, particularly among vulnerable groups. The need for intersectoral public policies to address and mitigate this scenario is emphasized.