Homicides among women in the different Brazilian regions in the last 35 years: an analysis of age-period-birth cohort effects

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2017-09, Vol.22 (9)
• Main Authors: Edinilsa Ramos deSouza, Karina Cardoso Meira, Adalgisa Peixoto Ribeiro, Juliano dosSantos, Raphael Mendonca Guimaraes, Laiane Felix Borges, Lannuzya Verissimo e Oliveira, Simoes, Taynana Cesar
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Subjects: Age factors; Ecological monitoring; Fatalities; Mortality; Murders & murder attempts; Regression analysis; Risk; Studies; Trend analysis; Violence; Women
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232017229.12392017

The aim of this study is to estimate the effects of age-period-birth cohort (APC) on female homicides. This is an ecological study which analyzed the violence-related death records of women aged 10 years and older, in the Brazilian geographic regions, between 1980 and 2014. Data on mortality were extracted from the Mortality Information System. The trend analysis was conducted using negative binomial regression and APC effects were analyzed using estimable functions. The average mortality rate for the period was 5.13 deaths per 100,000 women, with the highest rates observed in the Central-West (7.98 deaths), followed by the Southeast (4.78 deaths), North (4.77 deaths), Northeast (4.05 deaths) and South (3.82 deaths) regions. All regions presented a decrease in the risk of death in the period from 2010 to 2014, except for the Northeast region (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.10). There was a progressive increase in the homicide risk for women born from 1955 to 1959 in all Brazilian regions. Younger women are at higher risk of dying from homicides in all Brazilian geographic regions. The upward trend of homicide mortality rates according to birth cohort was significant and the highest risk was observed in women born between 2000 and 2004.