ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF MATERNAL NEAR MISS IN RELATION TO SOCIOECONOMIC AND HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FACTORS

Introduction/Objective: The severe maternal morbidity, known as maternal near miss, is related to socio-economic development level of a population. The study of these cases, combined with geoprocessing, enables the ascertainment and analysis of social and spatial factors for its occurrence. This paper aims to perform spatial analysis of the cases of maternal morbidity in relation to socioeconomic and health care conditions in Natal, RN, Brazil. Methods: The data used in the georeference were obtained through a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in Natal, RN. It included women of reproductive age (15-49 years) which mentioned at least one pregnancy during the five years prior to the survey. There were 60 census tracts and 4,128 households randomly selected to be included in the study. Cases of maternal morbidity were georeferenced through Terraview 4.2 software. Then, spatial distribution of points was analyzed according to socio economic conditions of the census tracts and distribution of municipal service network. Results/Conclusion: In total, 167 cases of maternal morbidity were identified (33 of near miss) in 848 women interviewed. It was noticed that most were located in areas where the socioeconomic and environmental indicators showed the worst results, as well as the proximity to the Primary Care Network of the town. Thus, the association of social and economic factors with the highest prevalence of complications emphasizes the importance of strengthening maternal care network and public policies, with reduction of inequities in public health.