RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DENGUE INCIDENCE AND SOCIOECONOMIC VULNERABILITY IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF ALAGOAS BETWEEN 2020 AND 2025

Abstract

Dengue is a disease of great public health significance, especially in tropical and subtropical countries such as Brazil. Its occurrence may be related to social inequalities and environmental conditions that influence exposure to the vector and access to health services. This study analyzed the relationship between dengue incidence and social vulnerability in municipalities in Alagoas between 2020 and 2025. An epidemiological study was conducted using secondary data from SINAN/DATASUS, obtained through the TabNet platform, considering probable cases, the reporting municipality, and the year of the first symptom. The Social Vulnerability Indices (SVI) provided by IPEA were also used. A total of 20 municipalities were analyzed, including 10 with higher IVS and 10 with lower IVS. A higher average incidence was observed among municipalities with lower IVS in all years, particularly in 2022, when the averages were 1,269.99 and 338.76 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the lower- and higher-IVS groups, respectively. The Spearman correlation was negative in all years, ranging from ρ = −0.204 to ρ = −0.526, with the highest value in 2022 (ρ = −0.526; p < 0.05). The results suggest that social vulnerability alone does not explain the distribution of dengue.