Influência das condições atmosféricas nas internações por infecções agudas das vias aéreas superiores em Belém-PA

Abstract

Upper respiratory tract infections, both acute and chronic, are one of the main causes of hospitalizations and overload on the health system, especially in vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly. Belém, the capital of the state of Pará, has a humid tropical climate, characterized by high temperatures, high relative humidity and intense rainfall throughout the year, factors that can favor the proliferation of infectious agents and aggravate respiratory infections. This study used meteorological variables such as maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation and relative humidity as base, in addition was used data of hospital admissions due to Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (AURTIs). The methodology was based on statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, cross-correlation and ARIMA modeling, to better understand the time series. Initially, descriptive statistics allowed the understanding of the behavior of the variables over time, presenting thermal amplitudes and data description. The Cross-Correlation Function (CCF) was used to identify the associations between the weather conditions and the number of hospitalizations due to AURTIs. The results obtained demonstrated statistical significance in the relationship between the weather variables and hospitalizations due to AURTIs. It is concluded that weather conditions influence the occurrence of AURTIs in Belém, reinforcing the need for public health strategies that integrate weather forecasts for the prevention and control of these infections.