Factors associated with prenatal care and HIV and syphilis testing during pregnancy in primary health care

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the factors associated with HIV and syphilis testing during pregnancy in Brazil. METHODS This was an ecological study covering all Brazilian municipalities evaluated by the second cycle of the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care, 2013-2014. The dependent variables were based on prenatal care access: prenatal care appointments, and HIV and syphilis tests during prenatal care. The independent variables were compared with demographic and social characteristics. Bivariate analysis was performed assessing the three outcomes with the independent variables. Variables with significant associations in this bivariate analysis were fit in a Poisson multiple regression analysis with robust variance to obtain adjusted estimates. RESULT Poisson regression analysis showed a statistically significant association with the variables "less than eight years of study" [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.31; 95%CI 1.19-1.45; p < 0.001] and "participants of the cash transfer program" (PR = 0.80; 95%CI 0.72-0.88; p < 0.001) for the outcome of "having less than six prenatal care appointments" and individual variables. A statistically significant association was found for "participants of the cash transfer program" (PR = 1.43; 95%CI 1.19-1.72; p < 0.001) regarding the outcome from the comparison between HIV testing absence during prenatal care and demographic and social characteristics. The absence of syphilis testing during prenatal care, and demographic and social characteristics presented a statistically significant association for the education level variable "less than eight years of study" (PR =1.75; 95%CI 1.56-1.96; p < 0.001) and "participants of the cash transfer program" (PR = 1.21, 95%CI 1.07-1.36; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The individual factors were associated with prenatal care appointments and HIV and syphilis tests in Brazilian pregnant women. They show missed opportunities for diagnosing HIV and syphilis infection during prenatal care and indicate weaknesses in the quality of maternal health care services to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.

Inequalities in access to HIV and syphilis tests in prenatal care in Brazil / Desigualdades no acesso a testes para HIV e sífilis durante a assistência pré-natal no Brasil / Inequidades en el acceso a las pruebas de VIH y sífilis durante el cuidado prenatal en Brasil

This study aims to evaluate the social determinants of access to HIV and VDRL tests during pregnancy in Brazil. The dependent variables were based on prenatal care access: prenatal care appointments, no HIV and syphilis tests. The independent variables at the first level were formal education level, age, race, work and participation in the Family Income program conditional cash transfer program. The city-level variables were the human development index (HDI), Gini index, and indicators related to health services. An exploratory analysis was performed assessing the effect of each level through prevalence ratios (PR) calculation. A multilevel mixed-effect Poisson regression model was constructed for all outcomes to verify the effect of individual level and with both the individual and contextual levels. Regarding prenatal appointments, the main implicated factors were related to individual socioeconomic position (education level and participation in the Family Income Program conditional cash transfer program), however only HDI maintained significance for the city-level context. The city-level variance dropped from 0.049 to 0.042, indicating an important between-city effect. Regarding the outcomes performing tests in prenatal care, the worst conditions such as contextual (HDI > 0.694, p < 0.001; Gini index ≥ 0.521, p < 0.001) and individual (> 8 years of schooling, p < 0.001) showed a risk effect in the final model. Variables related to health services did not show significant effects. They were associated with individual socioeconomic position and a city-level contextual effect. These findings indicate the importance of strengthening HIV and syphilis infection control programs during pregnancy.

O estudo teve como objetivos avaliar os determinantes sociais do acesso a testes para HIV e sífilis (VDRL) durante a gravidez no Brasil. As variáveis dependentes foram definidas de acordo com o acesso à assistência pré-natal: consultas de pré-natal e testes para HIV e sífilis. As variáveis independentes no primeiro nível foram escolaridade, idade, raça, trabalho e participação no programa Bolsa Família. As variáveis de nível municipal foram o índice de desenvolvimento humano (IDH), índice Gini e indicadores relacionados aos serviços de saúde. Foi realizada uma análise exploratória do efeito de cada nível, através do cálculo de razões de prevalência (RP). Para verificar o efeito do nível individual sobre os níveis individual e contextual, foi construído um modelo multiníveis de regressão de Poisson para efeitos mistos para todos os desfechos. Com relação às consultas de pré-natal, os principais fatores implicados estiveram relacionados ao nível socioeconômico individual (escolaridade e participação no programa Bolsa Família); entretanto, no nível municipal, apenas o IDH manteve significância estatística. A variância no nível municipal diminuiu de 0,049 para 0,042, indicando um importante efeito intermunicipal. Quanto ao desfecho realização dos testes na assistência pré-natal, as piores condições, tais como a condição contextual (IDH > 0,694, p < 0,001; índice Gini ≥ 0,521, p < 0,001) e a individual (> 8 anos, p < 0,001) mostraram um efeito de risco no modelo final. As variáveis relacionadas aos serviços de saúde não mostraram efeitos significativos. Estiveram associadas ao nível socioeconômico individual e a um efeito contextual de nível municipal. Os achados indicam a importância do fortalecimento de programas de controle de HIV e sífilis durante a gravidez.

Este estudio tiene como fin evaluar los determinantes sociales en el acceso a las pruebas de VIH y VDRL durante el embarazo en Brasil. Las variables dependientes estaban basadas en el acceso al cuidado prenatal: citas durante el cuidado prenatal y pruebas de VIH y sífilis. Las variables independientes en el primer nivel fueron: nivel formal de educación, edad, raza, trabajo y participación en el programa Bolsa Familia. Las variables dentro del nivel de ciudad fueron: índice de desarrollo humano (IDH), índice de Gini, e indicadores relacionados con los servicios de salud. Se realizó un análisis exploratorio, evaluando el efecto de cada nivel mediante el cálculo de la razón de prevalencias (RP). Se construyó una regresión de Poisson multinivel con efectos mixtos para todos los resultados, con el fin de verificar el efecto del nivel individual y en ambos niveles: individual y contextual. En relación con las citas prenatales, los factores principales implicados se relacionaron con la situación socioeconómica individual (nivel de educación y participación en el Programa Bolsa Familia), sin embargo, sólo el IDH mantuvo una relevancia estadística relacionada con el contexto del nivel de la ciudad. La varianza de nivel-ciudad bajó de 0,049 a 0,042, indicando un importante efecto intraciudad. Respecto a los resultados de las pruebas realizadas durante el cuidado prenatal, las peores condiciones como las contextuales (IDH > 0,694, p < 0,001; índice de Gini ≥ 0,521, p < 0,001) e individual (> 8 años de escolarización, p < 0,001) mostraron un efecto riesgo en el modelo final. Las variables informadas a los servicios de salud no indicaron efectos significativos. Estuvieron asociadas con la situación individual socioeconómica y el efecto nivel ciudad contextual. Estos resultados indican la importancia del fortalecimiento de los programas de control de infección por VIH y sífilis durante el embarazo.