title: Areas of vulnerability to HIV/TB co-infection in Southeastern Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify areas of vulnerability to new cases of HIV/tuberculosis (TB) co-infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ecological descriptive study was conducted by georeferencing new HIV/TB cases reported in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Southeastern Brazil, in 2006. Data were obtained from the São Paulo state information system for TB notification (TB-WEB) database. New cases of HIV/TB co-infection were analyzed according to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and, subsequently, georeferenced in the city's cartographic basis, based on home addresses. City sectors were categorized into three socioeconomic levels: lower, average and upper levels, based on the analysis of the main components of the 2000 Demographic Census variables (income, level of education and percentage of households with five or more residents). The incidence of HIV/TB co-infection was calculated for each socioeconomic level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV/TB co-infection affected a higher number of economically active adult males and the pulmonary form of TB was the most frequent. Spatial distribution showed that the incidences in areas with average and lower socioeconomic levels (8.3 and 11.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively) were higher than that with a higher socioeconomic level (4.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence rate of HIV/TB co-infection, analyzed according to socioeconomic levels, showed a non-homogeneous spatial pattern of distribution and higher values in more socially vulnerable areas. The present study identified priority geographical areas to control co-infection and revealed that the geographical information system technology can be used by city managers to plan health actions.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem de Saúde Pública, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto (EERP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP),. São Paulo, SP, Brasil. brunello@eerp.usp.br
authors.forename: Maria Eugênia Firmino
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brunello
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiaravalloti Neto
authors.forename: Ricardo Alexandre
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Arcêncio
authors.forename: Rubia Laine de Paula
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Gabriela Tavares
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Magnabosco
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina Scatena
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Villa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D018563:Disease Notification; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology*