title: Spatial analysis of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in the city of São Luís, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, according to sociodemographic and operational variables, in the city of São Luís, Brazil, and to describe their spatial distribution.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an exploratory ecological study based on secondary data from death certificates, obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Database, related to deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis. We included all deaths attributed to pulmonary tuberculosis that occurred in the urban area of São Luís between 2008 and 2012. We performed univariate and bivariate analyses of the sociodemographic and operational variables of the deaths investigated, as well as evaluating the spatial distribution of the events by kernel density estimation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, there were 193 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in São Luís. The median age of the affected individuals was 52 years. Of the 193 individuals who died, 142 (73.60%) were male, 133 (68.91%) were Mulatto, 102 (53.13%) were single, and 64 (33.16%) had completed middle school. There was a significant positive association between not having received medical care prior to death and an autopsy having been performed (p = 0.001). A thematic map by density of points showed that the spatial distribution of those deaths was heterogeneous and that the density was as high as 8.12 deaths/km2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sociodemographic and operational characteristics of the deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis evaluated in this study, as well as the identification of priority areas for control and surveillance of the disease, could promote public health policies aimed at reducing health inequities, allowing the optimization of resources, as well as informing decisions regarding the selection of strategies and specific interventions targeting the most vulnerable populations.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Maranhão at Imperatriz, Imperatriz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santos-Neto
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Maranhão at Imperatriz, Imperatriz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mellina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamura
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Maranhão at Imperatriz, Imperatriz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Concebida da Cunha
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Maranhão at Imperatriz, Imperatriz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcela Paschoal
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Popolin
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Maranhão at Imperatriz, Imperatriz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiane Ramos Dos Santos
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Maranhão at Imperatriz, Imperatriz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Alexandre
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Arcêncio
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001344:Autopsy; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control