Nursing care coverage and its impact on mortality in Mexico, 2007.

Abstract

Introduction: The mortality study contributes to understand the health status of the population and it indicates the challenges in public policy to reduce premature / or preventable death.

Objective: To identify how nursing care coverage indicator impacts on infant mortality, perinatal mortality, maternal mortality  and under five years old mortality.

Methodology: Transversal and analytic study where official information of Nursing Human Resources and mortality by federal entity in Mexico 2007 was used, from the method of “main Components”  the “Global Mortality Index” was built and casual association was looked for.

Result: In Mexico nursing coverage is 2.11 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, however, within the country differences are observed of up to three times for this indicator. The exercise of  simple linear regressión show statistically significant association since according to increasing nursing coverage mortality decreases. 

Discussion: Definitely, nursing coverage is not the only factor determining mortality. However, in studies published in recent years it is possible to identify that nursing care does increase the levels of population’s health, delays age of death and reduces early and avoidable deaths.

Conclusions: The study of early and / or preventable mortality and its relation to nursing  coverage are only one factor for a better understanding of the potential impact that the presence of professional nurses can have in the health profile and mortality among population.