Perceived discrimination in health services and associated factors in Manaus Metropolitan Region, Brazil: a cross-sectional population-based study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: Discrimination is the differentiated treatment of individuals due to prejudgments. Discriminatory practices in health care result in negative effects on patients’ health. In Brazil, skin color represents the main form of racial discrimination, which may have an impact on the accessibility and quality of health care. The Brazilian Amazon lacks investigations on this topic at the population level. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of perceived discrimination in health services and associated factors in the Manaus Metropolitan Region, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Design: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted with a probabilistic sample of adults interviewed in 2015. The associated factors were investigated by calculating the prevalence ratio (PR) using Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: A total of 4,001 participants were included. The overall prevalence of perceived discrimination was 12.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.8–13.9%). When compared to the reference categories, women (PR = 1.43; 95%CI: 1.20–1.70), individuals with brown skin color (Brazilian mixed race; PR = 1.33; 95%CI: 1.04–1.71), people who suffer from hypertension (PR = 1.27;95%CI: 1.03–1.57), and people who frequently used health services (p≤0.03) experienced more discrimination from health professionals. Conclusions: The prevalence of perceived discrimination in health services in Manaus Metropolitan Region is frequent and is associated with ethnic, social and health-related factors. Investments in inclusive public health policies and a better quality of health assistance are required to tackle this problem.