Spatial analysis of social vulnerability in health in the Mexican South Pacific region

Abstract

This article reflects on the current context of social and health vulnerability, which has become a central issue in government agendas at all levels. They represent social, economic, environmental and health processes that generate a mixed exposure of the territory and the people who inhabit it, making some more vulnerable than others; on the other hand, these conditions are also reflected in the response capacity of each individual, household and society. The objective of this research is to determine the social vulnerability in health in the Mexican South Pacific region, using the official data from the Population and Housing Census of 2020, disaggregated at the municipal level. The variables or socio-spatial conditioning factors of health have been selected, which have been standardized using an omega index to obtain a synthesis indicator of all the variables used, applying a multivariate analysis technique called Spatial Classification Scores (SCS). It allows carrying out an integration of the variables used in a systematic way, which allows a better evaluation and understanding to identify areas with greater or lesser vulnerability. The Mexican South Pacific region is a territory of great diversity and complexity, both in the social as well as in the economic and geographical context, which is why at the national level is the region with the greatest social backwardness and with the worst health rates. The results show that the highest vulnerability values are located in Cochoapa el Grande, Metlatónoc (Guerrero) and San Simón Zahuatlán (Oaxaca), characterized by high deficiencies in health services, education, decent housing and employment.