The relation between human development indicators of maternal health in the cities of Metropolitan Region of Curitiba – PR

Abstract Introduction Improving maternal health can be assessed and monitored by the health indicators, which not only reflect the quality of health promotion in public health but also social inequities. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between human development indicators and maternal health of municipalities in the metropolitan region of Curitiba - PR. Method This study is classified as descriptive, correlational, with the use of quantitative secondary data. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson correlation test with 95% significance level. Results The human development indicators showed a positive correlation with the percentage of live births with seven or more prenatal visits; negative correlation with the percentage of live births by natural childbirth; positive correlation with the percentage of live births by cesarean section; and a negative correlation with the percentage of children born to teenage mothers. Conclusion The worst indicators found in the municipalities with the lowest human development show the need to expand the actions aimed at the most vulnerable populations, reducing social inequities in order to expand access to health actions and services.