Diagnosis of mucosal changes and hospitalized oral cancer patients in Brazil: influence of socioeconomic factors

Abstract This study aimed to analyze the influence of socioeconomic factors on the frequency of diagnoses of oral mucosal changes and the number of hospitalized patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Brazil. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from all Brazilian cities in the period 2011–2017. The frequency of diagnoses of oral mucosal changes and the number of hospitalized patients of oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Brazil were extracted from the Primary Care Information System (SIAB) and Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA) databases. The socioeconomic factors evaluated were the Gini coefficient of inequality, municipal Human Development Index (MHDI), inadequate basic sanitation rate, employment rate, illiteracy rate and expected years of schooling. Associated factors were examined using bivariate Spearman’s correlations and multivariate Poisson regressions, and statistically significant (p