Abstract

BARBOSA, Andréa Maria Ferreira; FERREIRA, Luiz Oscar Cardoso  and  BARROS, Maria Dilma de Alencar. Analysis of homicide mortality in Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil: trends from 1997 to 2006. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2011, vol.20, n.2, pp.131-140. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742011000200002.

OBJECTIVE: this study analyzed the magnitude and trend of homicide mortality in Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil, from 1997 to 2006. METHODOLOGY: data from the Mortality Information System of Recife's Health Secretariat were used; a time series exploratory ecological model was created to analyze trends in mortality ratios; those coefficients were assessed according to gender and age, using the exponential model. RESULTS: during that period, there were9,850 homicides of Recife residents; approximately 67% of those killed were in the age group of 15 to 29 years; there was a difference in risk of mortality by gender and age group - young men were associated with increased risk of homicide, compared to women - the overall mortality rate went down about 7%, but that decline showed statistical significance only in men with 30 years or more. CONCLUSION: specific actions should be taken to benefit mainly adolescents and young adults, since there has been a high rate of homicide among that portion of the population living in the city.

Keywords : homicide; violence; mortality; time series.

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