Page 32 - IJPS-9-2

International Journal of

Population Studies

RESEARCH ARTICLE
“I can’t breathe”: The effect of intersectionality

on access to COVID-19 diagnostic tests in
Brazil

Juçara Cezario da Silva , Ricardo de Mattos Russo Rafael *,
2†
1†
Dandara Costa Alcântara , Caroline Moraes Soares Motta de Carvalho ,
2
3
Max Fellipe Cezario Porphirio , Mayara Christinne Cezario Porphirio ,
5
4
Mercedes Neto , and Tiago Braga do Espírito Santo 6
2
1 Municipal Secretary of Health, Rio de Janeiro, 20211-110, Brazil
2 Department of Public Health, College of Nursing, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,
20551-030, Brazil
3 Regional Nursing Council of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20071-000, Brazil
4 South-South Exchange Program for Research on the History of Development, Rio de Janeiro/
Amsterdam, 22250-020, Brazil/Netherlands
5 Center for Assistance and Research in Eating Disorders, Institute of Nutrition, University of Rio de
Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-170, Brazil
6 Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-
030, Brazil

† These authors contributed equally
to this work.
*Corresponding author: Abstract
Ricardo de Mattos Russo Rafael
(prof.ricardomattos@gmail.com) This research aimed to analyze the effect of intersectionality on patients’ access
Citation: da Silva, J.C., de Mattos to COVID-19 diagnostic tests during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory
Russo Rafael, R., Alcântara, D.C., de syndrome (SARS) in Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted, utilizing a
Carvalho, C.M.S.M., Porphirio, M.F.C., secondary analysis of Brazilian patient records from March to June 2020. The first
Porphirio, M.C.C., et al. (2023).
“I can’t breathe”: The effect of 4 months of the COVID-19 epidemic were selected as this was the period during
intersectionality on access to which countries organized themselves to provide care for COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 diagnostic tests in Brazil. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated using logistic regression.
International Journal of Population
Studies, 9(2): 26-36. Interactions with education were tested, considering it a proxy for social class.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0865 Statistical analysis was performed using Stata SE 15 software. Out of the 179,295
Received: April 27, 2023 records examined, 6,326 (3.53%) patients were not tested, and 4,512 (71.32%) of
the untested patients were black. The odds of not being tested were higher for
Accepted: July 14, 2023
black males (OR: 2.30) and black females (OR: 2.58) compared to other racial and
Published Online: July 28, 2023 gender groups. Black males exhibited a higher likelihood of non-testing than
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). black females, while black females had a higher likelihood than both white males
This is an Open-Access article and females. Race, when modulated by social class, showed significant effects on
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution failure to perform diagnostic testing in patients with SARS. The results suggest that
License, permitting distribution, and structural racism, gender, and social class inequalities significantly impact access
reproduction in any medium, which to diagnostic testing. Therefore, it is necessary for public policies to consider these
provided that the original work is
properly cited. findings to address not only the symptoms but also the underlying causes of racism
within the social structure.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Keywords: Gender and health; Ethnic groups; Social class; Racism; COVID-19; Brazil
affiliations.

Volume 9 Issue 2 (2023) 26 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0865