Family development index: a comparative analysis in 21 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

This article presents an adaptation of the family development index, with a detailed description of the results of its application in 21 municipalities in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2000. The research is part of the Baseline Study on the Project for Expansion and Consolidation of the Family Health Strategy and was proposed as an instrument for monitoring and analyzing the municipal reality in the context of a family-centered public policy. The results show a serious-tosevere situation for families in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The most critical dimensions relate to inequalities in results, availability of resources, and labor market access, in addition to a key aspect involving inequality of opportunities, namely access to knowledge. The most vulnerable groups consist of families headed by individuals over 65 years of age and families headed by women.