Determinación y determinantes sociales de la malaria: revisión sistemática, 1980-2018

OBJECTIVE. Describe how the ‘social determination of health’ approach has been applied in malaria studies around the world. METHODS. Systematic review of original studies published from 1980 to 2018. Six search strategies were used in ten multidisciplinary databases, and in libraries and repositories of seven universities in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. PRISMA guidelines were followed, methodological quality was evaluated according to STROBE criteria, and a qualitative summary of the results was conducted. RESULTS. Ten studies published from 1984 to 2017 met pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria; 33 social determinants of malaria were identified. Of individual determinants, greater malaria risk was found in adults, people who are often outdoors at night, and people who do not take preventive measures; intermediate determinants were dwellings with poor physical and sanitary infrastructure, overcrowded, located in forested areas, and containing animals. Regarding socioeconomic determinants, the people at greatest risk were involved in agro-forestry activities, migrants, and those with low income and a low educational level. Malaria caused high economic losses and led to poverty and educational delay. CONCLUSION. No studies were found that used Latin American social medicine approaches or that applied the World Health Organization’s hierarchical and multilevel analysis for individual, intermediate, and structural determinants. No progress has been made in the analysis of social categories—territory, social class, gender, ethnic group, macroeconomic policies—or other socioeconomic characteristics that determine risk of illness or death from malaria.