Homicide in Chile: Trends 2000 – 2012

Background

Homicide, an external cause of morbidity and mortality, caused 473,000 deaths worldwide in 2012, a rate of 6.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. The aim of this study was to describe homicide mortality trends in Chile between 2000 and 2012 by year, gender, age group, geographic distribution (by zone and by region) and type of homicide.

Methods

This was a population-based study. Data for homicide mortality in Chile between 2000 and 2012 were used and they were provided by the Chilean Ministry of Health’s Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS) and PAHO/WHO. The homicide mortality rates were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. The study variables were year, geographic distribution, gender, age group and type of homicide. The annual percentage change (APC) of the rates was analyzed, and a logarithm of the rates by year and region was fitted by applying linear regression models. In addition, relative risks (RR) were calculated. 95 % confidence intervals were considered in all the analyses.

Results

The average yearly rate of homicide (HMR) in Chile (2000–2012) was 4.9. The rates were higher in men (8.7) than in women (1.1), with a RR of 8.2. The rates were higher in the country’s central zone (5.0), increasing in recent years in the southern zone, with a significant positive APC of 1.1 %. The Aisén Region had the highest rate (7.6), although Antofagasta was the region with the most significant APC (3.1 %). The highest rate (9.2) was verified in the 25 to 39 age group. The highest rate (5.5) was recorded in 2005. The most frequent type of homicide was assault with an object (44.8 %).

Conclusions

Although the homicide rates are higher in the southern zone of the country, the northern zone is showing a tendency to increase, becoming an even more serious problem, which not only affects those directly involved, but society as a whole.

Below:  Homicide mortality rate per 100,000 population by zone

Full article at: http://goo.gl/IY9VoZ

By:   Tamara Otzen^1234*, Antonio Sanhueza⁵⁶, Carlos Manterola¹⁷, Tamara Melnik⁴ and Monica Hetz⁸

¹Doctorado en Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de La Frontera, Avenida Alemania 0458, Temuco, Chile

²Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile

³Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru

⁴Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Baseada em Evidências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

⁵Departamento de Matemática y Estadísticas, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

⁶Pan American Health Organization/Regional Office of the World Health Organization, Washington, USA

⁷Departamento de Cirugía, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

⁸Psychology, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco, Chile

 

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