Spatial analysis of the distribution of dengue cases and its relationship with socio-environmental factors in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, 2007-2016

ABSTRACT Dengue is a serious public health problem, especially in countries that have favorable socio-environmental conditions for the development and proliferation of its transmitting agent. This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of the incidence of dengue in the state of Paraíba between 2007 and 2016, evaluating the existence of geographic dependence and its relationship with socioeconomic and environmental factors. Ecological study, with the unit of analysis of the 223 municipalities in the state. The global and local Moran Index and the Geary c statistic were used to assess the spatial autocorrelation of dengue and the association with socioenvironmental variables. The analyzes were performed using statistical software R Core Team version 3.3.2. When analyzing the distribution of dengue cases in the municipalities of Paraíba, it can be identified that the disease has been advancing and affecting a greater number of cities each year. The disease was present in all the cities analyzed, which demonstrated the need to implement disease prevention actions across the state. Through this research, it became clear that dengue, in the state of Paraíba, is not determined by a single and isolated factor, but, rather, by the combination of several factors of the socioeconomic and environmental context.