Exploratory study: Relationship between poverty level and acute exposures to potentially toxic substances in Chile

Summary

Objective: to explore the following research question: How is the socioeconomic level of a person, specifically the level of poverty, associated with the characteristics of acute exposures to substances with toxic potential in Chile? Methods: epidemiological study, cross-sectional and semi-ecological design. Information was collected from a sample of cases attended by the Center for Toxicological and Drug Information of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CITUC). The independent variable corresponds to the communal poverty index of the National Socioeconomic Characterization Survey (CASEN). The dependent variables were the characteristics of the exposures recorded by the poison control center according to the poverty level of the observed cases. The phenomenon was analyzed through cross tables, Odds Ratio calculation with stratified analysis. Results: significant differences are observed in the circumstances of the exposures: people who live in communes with a higher percentage of poverty show more intentional exposures versus those with a lower percentage of poverty. Another significant finding is the use of the health system in cases of exposures depending on the socioeconomic situation. For the other variables, no significant differences were found between the groups compared. Conclusions: a relationship is observed between the level of poverty and exposure to potentially toxic substances. The results open up a line of research and new questions that could generate measures to control poisoning in Chile.