[Geoprocessing and health promotion: social and environmental inequalities, Brazil].
OBJECTIVE
To characterize social inequalities that represent risk conditions for respiratory tract diseases in children and to describe geoprocessing techniques to identify homogeneous social groups and intervention actions for health promotion.


METHODS
The study area comprised the surroundings of a health school center in the city of S o Paulo. Based on 1991 census, housing data on 49 census units in the study area were statistically analyzed and it was obtained the mean of characteristic social and environment variables in these units. Together with local representatives, variables were selected that made up composite indicators related to social insertion and housing quality to allow identifying different conditions of potential exposure to respiratory tract diseases. Using geoprocessing techniques, four homogeneous groups were identified in terms of potential exposure to risk conditions for respiratory diseases.


RESULTS
It was obtained a spatial configuration of the groups reflecting different needs in the study area. The methodological instruments used revealed to be important for the development of local actions to be implemented in services that operate in specific geographical areas.


CONCLUSIONS
The study contributed to the identification of risk conditions in the health center area, making it possible the joint and inter-sector discussion of conditions related to respiratory tract diseases in children, aiming at promoting equity and improving child health.
Chiesa
Anna Maria
AM
Departamento de Enfermagem em Saúde Coletiva, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. amchiesa@usp.br
Westphal
Márcia Faria
MF
Kashiwagi
Néa Miwa
NM
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006293:Health Promotion; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012924:Social Conditions; D012935:Social Justice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors