Impairments and related social inequalities among adults: a population-based study in São Paulo city, Brazil

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva Vol. 29; no. 4; p. e16962022
• Main Authors: Castro, Shamyr Sulyvan, Bassichetto, Katia Cristina, Lima, Margareth Guimarães, Cesar, Chester Luiz Galvão, Goldbaum, Moisés, Barros, Marilisa Berti de Azevedo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil ABRASCO - Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva 01.04.2024
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Aged; Brazil - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data; Educational Status; Female; Health Services Needs and Demand; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mobility Limitation; Prevalence; PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH; Socioeconomic Factors; Young Adult; Brazil; Low vision; Intellectual disability; Mobility limitation; Limitação de mobilidade; Inquéritos epidemiológicos; Health surveys; Perda auditiva; Baixa visão; Deficiência intelectual; Hearing loss
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232024294.16962022

The study of the association of social variables with the prevalence of impairments can provide subsidies for more adequate care and health policies for the most needy people by incorporating social aspects. This article aims to estimate the prevalence of diverse types of impairments, the degree of difficulty, limitations, and the need for help they cause and attest whether this prevalence differ by educational attainment in individuals aged 20 years or older. This is a populational cross-sectional study (2015 Health Survey of São Paulo-ISA Capital). Data from 3184 individuals were analyzed via educational attainment as exposure variable and outcome variables related to visual, hearing, intellectual, and mobility impairments. 19.9% of participants had visual, 7.8%, hearing, 2.7%, intellectual, and 7.4%, mobility impairments. Mobility and intellectual impairments limited participants' daily activities the most, 70.3% and 63.3%, respectively; who, thus, needed the most help: 48.9% and 48.5%, respectively. Lower schooling was associated with a higher prevalence of impairments, greater need for help due to visual and intellectual impairments, and greater limitations due to hearing and visual impairments.