Os Aranã do Médio Jequitinhonha: um estudo epidemiológico com ênfase no saneamento e na ocorrência de enteroparasitoses

Abstract

Given a scenario of incipient knowledge about the brazilian indigenous population in their demographic, epidemiological and socioeconomic status, and since this gap is even higher for indigenous groups living outside of Indigenous Lands, the present study aimed to investigate sanitation condition, socioeconomic status and sanitary habits practiced within the household by the Aranã population. It aimed to identify associations between these aspects and the occurrence of intestinal parasites and diarrhea. It was conducted a cross-sectional study, using data obtained from surveys, the collection and analysis of household water samples and stool samples. The multilevel GEE method was used in the statistical analyzes to investigate association of sociodemographic and households aspects with health outcomes. The results revealed that socioeconomic data on Aranã population resemble those revealed by the 2010 census for Brazil's indigenous population living outside Indigenous Lands. Regarding sanitation, 56.2% of the households have solid waste collected by the municipal service, 31.2% are connected to the public sewerage lines, 58.9% have access to the water supply system. 58% of the drinking water samples were positive for total coliforms and 25% for Escherichia coli. The microbiological quality of the water from alternative solutions differed significantly (p <0.001) from that of the public supply. These results revealed differences regarding the spatiality of indigenous households, pointing to the need to adopt measures such as environmental and health education, focusing the population that consumes water from alternative solutions, largely located in rural areas. The prevalence of pathogenic and nonpathogenic intestinal parasites was 31.4%, and Giardia lamblia presented the major occurrence (11.8%). The prevalence of diarrhea was 4.1%. No predictor variable was significant in explaining Giardia lamblia infection; variables such as "sex" and "amount of durable goods" were associated with general intestinal parasites infection, pointing, however, an unexpected direction of association. Further assessments are necessary to a better understanding of the factors related to diarrhea and intestinal parasites occurrence.