Can Sustainable Development improve child health?

Responsible researcher: Angelo Cruz do Nascimento Varella

Article title: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND CHILD HEALTH IN THE CURITIBA METROPOLITAN MESOREGION, STATE OF PARANÁ, BRAZIL

Authors of the article: Roberto Eduardo Bueno, Simone Tetu Moysés, Paula Alexandra Reis Bueno, Samuel Jorge Moysés, Max Luiz de Carvalho and Beatriz Helena Sottile França

Location of the Intervention: Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Sample Size: 37 municipalities

Big topic: Health

Type of Intervention: Analysis of data collected from the 2010 Brazilian Demographic Census

Variable of Main Interest: Infant Mortality Rate for children up to 5 years of age

Assessment Method: Cluster

Policy Problem

According to the United Nations, Sustainable Development consists of ecologically correct human activity, so that the relationship between society and the environment is mutually beneficial and lasting. Within this context, the economic viability of such activities is also considered, which depends on the adequate use of available resources and social justice, which must prioritize vulnerable individuals and groups, aiming for equity.

In addition to economic aspects, Sustainable Development must also meet the cultural parameters of a society, in order to value the heterogeneity of different individuals and groups, offering opportunities for inclusive participation to everyone. This encompasses collective psychological health, arising from individual and community autonomy and empowerment. Such characteristics are important as they place the concept of public health in the context of Sustainable Development.

Therefore, it can be stated that the association between Sustainable Development and the promotion of public health is mainly determined by the implementation of sustainable solutions and the social inclusion of such processes. It is relevant to consider inclusion mainly with regard to combating poverty and its socioeconomic consequences, which are also obstacles to Sustainable Development.

Thus, the objective of the research is to measure the impact that the implementation of social indicators of Sustainable Development has on the public health of one of the most vulnerable segments of the population: children.

Assessment Context

According to the National Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CDSS – 2008), the fact that social inequality is one of the main causes that lead to the massive loss of life in society is an injustice, since it is possible to work towards avoid it. This is because poverty is related to poor health conditions, which disproportionately affect the child population.

 When evaluating the health determinants of a society, it is possible to ascertain that children are a group particularly susceptible to the ills of poverty, especially in the first years of life, and the consequences of poor public health conditions can affect the adult population permanently. . Thus, studies indicate that public health policy programs that seek profound social impacts must have well-defined planning, in addition to the need for constant monitoring. Thus, it is possible to contribute to the living conditions of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, ensuring improvements resulting from implemented programs. Within the scope of this research, the main aim is to support children and their families.

Intervention Details

Based on the assumption that one of the fundamental principles of promoting public health is the development of actions aimed at the needs of the population, it is possible to state that the planning and continuous monitoring of public policies also configure necessary conditions for the framing of these activities in the context of Development Sustainable. In other words, it is necessary to constantly evaluate the process, measuring the impact through robust and reliable indicators so that the premises of sustainability, viability and equity are achieved.

In Brazil, data from the 2010 Demographic Census provide social indicators that indicate the social determinants of public health for municipalities. These parameters are used by researchers to investigate the relationship between the Sustainable Development observed in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, in Paraná, and the results of children's public health, specifically with regard to the mortality rate of children up to five years of age.

 Methodology

            The research consists of an ecological cross-sectional study, which evaluates how the health status of groups belonging to the metropolitan region of Curitiba is influenced by social, environmental, behavioral and economic conditions. To this end, based on the 2010 Demographic Census, researchers used 16 contextual variables that represent the dimensions of Sustainable Development in the context of the child population of 37 municipalities in the state of Paraná.

From the selection of this database, four categories of influence on social determinants were created, namely:

1. Equity – is made up of seven indicators that evaluate the social characteristics of each municipality, in order to determine which regions have the best conditions for children's public health;
2. Demographic Profile – quantifies the population and demographic density;
3. Environmental Sustainability – consists of three indicators of preservation of native nature and distance from the capital’s urban center;
4. Economic Sustainability – covers four economic indicators that directly impact child health conditions.

After this classification, the authors present the Sustainable Development Index, which is composed from the categories described previously. The authors then compare these results with data on infant mortality of children up to five years of age from the Ministry of Health database – DATASUS 2011.

Results

From the analysis of data from the 37 municipalities in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, the authors state that it is possible to relate the Sustainable Development Index with the reduction in the infant mortality rate, so that there is a moderate negative correlation between these parameters. The research also indicates that the Equity category also has a negative correlation with the mortality of children up to five years of age.

In addition to this analysis, the authors classify the municipalities according to the results of the Sustainable Development Index for each location, grouping them into sets according to the index. The distribution can be seen in the following image:

Figure 01 – Classification of municipalities according to the Sustainable Development Index

In which, the first group (dark green) refers to the municipality with advanced Sustainable Development and corresponds only to the capital Curitiba. The second group (light green) are municipalities with an index considered moderate. The third group (pink) are municipalities with an insufficient index, while the fourth group (red) are locations with unsustainable development. The authors state that there is also a negative correlation between classification into groups and child mortality, so that municipalities with better Sustainable Development indicators have lower mortality rates for children up to five years of age.

Politics Lessons

From the study, it is possible to affirm that the search for Sustainable Development is a promising path in combating socioeconomic inequality and preserving the environment, which, consequently, generates relevant social benefits. Not only can poverty be reduced with economic advancement, it is also possible to achieve viable solutions that effectively reduce infant mortality rates, improving public health outcomes in the regions covered.

It is also worth highlighting that in addition to measures to implement public policies aimed at Sustainable Development, it is also necessary to consolidate methods of monitoring and monitoring these initiatives, in order to effectively ensure the conditions of economic viability, social equity, environmental sustainability and preservation of customs. and the quality of life of individuals and groups.

Reference

BUENO, Roberto Eduardo et al. Sustainable development and child health in the Curitiba metropolitan mesoregion, State of Paraná, Brazil. Health & Place , vol. 19, p. 167-173, 2013.