Spatial risk of death in patients with AIDS in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the spatial risk of AIDS mortality in census tracts in a large Brazilian city.

METHOD: We studied three retrospective cohorts of individuals with AIDS, who were residents in the city of Campinas, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The occurrence of death was analyzed from 1980 to 1990 (cohort 1), 1996 to 2000 (cohort 2), and from 2001 to 2005 (cohort 3). We adjusted a Bayesian semi-parametric model, using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) method, which allowed for the mapping of mortality risk for the three cohorts.

RESULTS: The incidence of death in cohorts 1, 2 and 3 were, respectively, 72.73, 32.21 and 13.11%. The death risk maps showed a tendency of mortality decrease, and presented the sectors with the highest and lowest risk for each period. The model showed that, in the three cohorts, factors associated with the highest risk of death were: being male, and having an age at diagnosis greater than 49 years old. The homosexual/bisexual orientation was associated with lower risk of dying.

CONCLUSIONS: Even considering the reduction in the risk of death from AIDS in recent years, after access to highly active antiretroviral therapy, the highest incidence was found among the poorest individuals in the three studied cohorts. The maps and risk factors obtained suggest possible actions for monitoring the disease in the city.