Determinants of homicides in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in 2009.

PURPOSE: To carry out a study of association between socioeconomic and demographic factors and homicides in general population, in the state of Bahia, in 2009. METHODS: This is an ecological study. The data were collected from the database of the Information System about Mortality of the Ministry of Health, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and the Institute of Applied Economic Research. The Global Moran index was calculated for the detection of spatial autocorrelation, and the Local Moran index was calculated for the detection of spatial Clusters. The transformation in the variable answer (homicides rates) was performed and it was shaped using the Conditional Autoregressive Model. RESULTS: The data showed spatial autocorrelation. Two clusters of municipalities with high rates of homicides were identified, one located predominantly in the Greater Metropolitan Region of Salvador and the other in the South Region of Bahia, especially Eunápolis and Lauro de Freitas, which had the highest rates. The Average Residents Variables, local GDP and the Percentage of Illiteracy presented an inverse association with homicide rates, and the variables Firjan's municipal development index of work and income. Enrolment in high school and the Average of Bolsa Família were directly associated. CONCLUSIONS: The urbanization process, in most cases, not controlled by the State, in most cases, made the cities bigger and with better socioeconomic conditions, attraction centers for people with different socioeconomic levels, increasing the social inequality among the residents of these regions, with parallel increase in homicide rates.

[The identity of civil police officers and successive mirroring studies]. / A identidade de policiais civis e sucessivos espelhamentos.

The scope of this paper was to analyze the perceptions of civil police officers regarding their professional identity, the institution they belong to and their opinion concerning the image society has of their performance. The data are derived from a survey focused on their work and health conditions, using a questionnaire, interviews and focus groups including managers, sheriffs and officers. The relative frequency and average return for answers about working conditions, professional fulfillment and life quality improvement after joining the institution were then determined. Qualitative questions were selected about the officers' opinion of how society perceives the civil police and what it is to be a police officer in the area under study using sense interpretation method analysis. The results point to a negative image that the police officers believe society has about them, which reaffirms the bad image associated with the profession. Rejecting this negative identity, they try to distinguish the differences between the civil police and the military police officers. The conclusion is that action is required to improve working conditions and develop channels of dialogue with the community and promote health campaigns.

[Psychic suffering among civil police officers in Rio de Janeiro State]. / Sofrimento psíquico em policiais civis do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

The paper discusses the relationship between work and psychic suffering among police officers in the State of Rio de Janeiro. A questionnaire was filled out by these professionals in three separate studies: Capital Baixada Fluminense and Interior. The socio-demographic profile, quality of life, health and working conditions were investigated. Psychic suffering was measured by the SRQ-20. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with psychic suffering. The results showed it to be associated with the following variables: level of satisfaction with the ability to react to difficult situations; performing the work for which the officers were trained; suffering some victimization; unit location; problems in the nervous system; and degree of satisfaction with life in general. Those who reported problems in the nervous system and victimization showed an OR of 7.25 and 3.08, respectively. The professionals who considered themselves dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the ability to react to difficult situations and life in general showed an OR of 10.85 and 6.69, respectively, compared with those who considered themselves satisfied or very satisfied. Professionals from the Baixada showed an increased risk of psychic suffering compared to a reduced risk among those from the Interior.

[Consumption of licit and illicit substances by police officers in the city of Rio de Janeiro]. / Consumo de substâncias lícitas e ilícitas por policiais da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

The consumption of psychoactive substances by civil and military police of the city of Rio de Janeiro was investigated. Data was gathered from two cross-sectional studies on a questionnaire on work and health conditions given to a sample from the two corporations. The results show higher frequencies of regular consumption of tobacco (23.3% by civil police and 19.1% by military police), daily use of alcohol (12% by civil police and 11% by military police) and tranquilizers in the past year (13.3% by civil police and 10.1% by military police). The consumption of marijuana among officers was 0.1% by civil police and 1.1% by military police, and cocaine use among the military police was 1.1%. Alcohol consumption proved to be intense and causes problems at work and in the social and family relationships of these officers. The need for preventive policies for addiction and the possible underestimation of information on illicit substances is emphasized.

[Multicentric study of deaths by homicide in Latin American countries]. / Estudo multicêntrico da mortalidade por homicídios em países da América Latina.

This article is a descriptive epidemiological study of deaths by homicide in Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico) from 1990 to 2007. Deaths due to external causes and homicides, as codified in the 9th and 10th revisions of the International Classification of Diseases/ICD, were analyzed considering sex, age and manner of assault. The numbers, ratios and adjusted rates for deaths by homicide are presented. A linear regression model was used to ascertain the trend of homicide rates by age group. During the period, 4,086,216 deaths from external causes and 1,432,971 homicides were registered in these countries. Deaths from external causes rose 54.5% in Argentina but fell in the other countries (37% in Mexico, 31.8% in Colombia, and 8.1% in Brazil). The ratio for deaths by homicide for both sexes was 9.1 in Colombia, 4.4 in Brazil and 1.6 in Mexico, using the Argentinian rates as a benchmark. There were differences in the evolution of homicide rates by age and sex in the countries: the rate rose in Brazil and fell in Colombia for all age groups. The need to prioritize young males in public policies related to health care and prevention is stressed, as well as the need for the region to adopt inclusive policies and broaden and consolidate democracy and the rights of inhabitants.

[Homicides involving firearms in Argentina between 1991 and 2006: a multilevel analysis]. / Homicidios por armas de fuego en Argentina, 1991-2006: un análisis de niveles múltiples.

The influence of variables at different levels of organization and the effect of time on the occurrence of firearm-related homicides (FRH) in Argentina between 1991 and 2006 was analyzed using multilevel analysis. A three-level Poisson regression model was used. The first level corresponded to the distribution of the number of FRH by sex and age group for each administrative region and (four-year) period; the second corresponded to the variation over time in the interior of each administrative region; the third modeled the variation between administrative regions in accordance with the Level of Urbanization, Percentage of Homes with Unsatisfied Basic Needs and the Percentage of Working Adults. There were 15,067 FRH in persons aged 14 and over between 1991 and 2006 in the 493 administrative regions. The risk of death was higher in males and persons of 15 to 29 years of age; ages above that were associated with a lower risk. The influence of age was greater in central-urban zones and between 1999 and 2002 than during other periods. The level of urbanization was the socioeconomic variable most strongly associated with FRH risk. The risk of death from FRH was 1.6 times higher in central-urban zones compared with non-central zones. In both zones, the risk was highest between 1999 and 2002.

[Morbidity and mortality of young Brazilian men due to aggression: expression of gender differentials]. / Morbimortalidade de homens jovens brasileiros por agressão: expressão dos diferenciais de gênero.

Mortality, hospitalization and emergency attendance visits for assault in Brazil, from 1996 to 2007 were analyzed. The data sources are the Mortality Information System/SIM, the Hospital Information System/SIH and the Surveillance System of Violence and Injuries/VIVA of the Ministry of Health. It was focused on males in the 15 to 29 year-old age group, and other variables related to the victim, the aggressor and the event. The male/ woman distribution was 11.6 times higher for mortality, 4.5 times for hospitalization and 2.8 times for hospital emergency treatment. In 2007 the rate of 15 to 29 year-old men was 92.8/100,000 inhabitants. The Southeast and Northeast have the highest incidence and prevalence. The conclusion was that the male/female differential rates occurs during adolescence, intensifies in early adulthood, and despite decreasing in intensity, continues until death. Cultural gender models and socio-structural aspects were examined to explain such marked differences.

[The quality of information systems on violence-related deaths in Argentina and Brazil between 1990 and 2010]. / Calidad de los sistemas de información de mortalidad por violencias en Argentina y Brasil - 1990-2010.

Violence-related deaths are a public health issue by virtue of the magnitude of their impact on society and on the health services. A study of the descriptive temporal trend was conducted using the official national information systems of violence-related mortality in Argentina and Brazil for the period from 1990 to 2010. Indicators were created to evaluate information quality by sex, age, and cause of death. The results demonstrate a temporal trend of improvement in the quality of the information systems. This trend is repeated especially when violence-related deaths are analyzed, with a decrease in the number of records for violence-related death of undetermined intent; as well as a high percentage of firearm-related deaths of undetermined intent in Argentina. The analysis of the quality of information systems regarding violence-related deaths makes it possible to detect problems and orient actions in order to obtain better quality information and therefore permit improvement in the creation of preventive public policies.

[Rehabilitation care for victims of accidents and violence: the situation of the municipal districts in Pernambuco, Brazil]. / Assistência em reabilitação para vítimas de acidentes e violência: a situação dos municípios em Pernambuco, Brasil.

A diagnostic analysis of care was conducted for rehabilitation of victims of accidents and violence in municipal districts of Pernambuco, Brazil, with over 100 thousand inhabitants. A cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out. The principles of the triangulation method were followed because the study required the input of various informers and used a variety of collection techniques. An interview was conducted with the municipal manager of each district to map out and select the services to be analyzed. Questionnaires were applied to the managers of the services for identification of the unit, characterization of the activities and description of the structure. The results revealed that more than half of the services involved group care, prevention of relapses and neuropsychomotor stimulation. The team numbered 273 health professionals, with physiotherapists being the largest group (34.8%), followed by psychologists (13.5%), and speech therapists (12.8%). Only one municipal district supplied ortheses, prostheses and auxiliary equipment for locomotion. Deficits of some types of services and discrepancies in the distribution of such services were observed in the different areas of the state.

Violence and injuries in Brazil: the effect, progress made, and challenges ahead.

Although there are signs of decline, homicides and traffic-related injuries and deaths in Brazil account for almost two-thirds of all deaths from external causes. In 2007, the homicide rate was 26·8 per 100,000 people and traffic-related mortality was 23·5 per 100,000. Domestic violence might not lead to as many deaths, but its share of violence-related morbidity is large. These are important public health problems that lead to enormous individual and collective costs. Young, black, and poor men are the main victims and perpetrators of community violence, whereas poor black women and children are the main victims of domestic violence. Regional differentials are also substantial. Besides the sociocultural determinants, much of the violence in Brazil has been associated with the misuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, and the wide availability of firearms. The high traffic-related morbidity and mortality in Brazil have been linked to the chosen model for the transport system that has given priority to roads and private-car use without offering adequate infrastructure. The system is often poorly equipped to deal with violations of traffic rules. In response to the major problems of violence and injuries, Brazil has greatly advanced in terms of legislation and action plans. The main challenge is to assess these advances to identify, extend, integrate, and continue the successful ones.

[Decline in homicide rates in São Paulo, Brasil: a descriptive analysis]. / Queda dos homicídios em São Paulo, Brasil: uma análise descritiva.

OBJECTIVE: To describe homicide mortality in the municipality of São Paulo according to type of weapon, sex, race or skin color, age, and areas of socioeconomic inequalities, between 1996 and 2008. METHOD: For this ecological time-series study, data about deaths in the municipality of São Paulo were collected from the municipal program for improvement of mortality information, using International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Homicide mortality rates (HMR) were calculated for the overall population and specifically for each sex, race or skin color, age range, type of weapon, and occurrence in social deprivation/affluence areas. HMR were adjusted for age using the direct method. The percentage age of variation in HMR was calculated for the study period. For areas of socioeconomic inequalities, the relative risk of death from homicide was calculated. RESULTS: HMR fell 73.7% between 2001 and 2008. A reduction in HMR was observed in all groups, especially males (-74.5%), young men between 15 and 24 years of age (-78.0%), and residents in areas of extreme socioeconomic deprivation (-79.3%). The reduction occurred mostly in firearm homicide rates (-74.1%). The relative risk of death from homicide in areas of extreme socioeconomic deprivation, as compared to areas with some degree of socioeconomic deprivation, was 2.77 in 1996, 3.9 in 2001, and 2.13 in 2008. In areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, the relative risk was 2.07 in 1996 and 1.96 in 2008. CONCLUSIONS: To understand the reduction in homicide rates in the municipality of São Paulo, it is important to take into consideration macrodeterminants that affect the entire municipality and all population subgroups, as well as micro/local determinants that have special impact on homicides committed with firearms and on subgroups such as the young, males, and residents of areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.

[The insertion of the violence against elderly theme at health care public policies in Brazil]. / Inserção do tema violência contra a pessoa idosa nas políticas públicas de atenção à saúde no Brasil.

This article approaches the insertion of violence against elderly in the Brazilian health care public policies. It presents concepts of violence applied to this group of population, mortality data and number of elder interned by violence and accidents. Also, it compares and discusses some policies that are, direct or indirectly, about elder care, victims of violence, and the specific object of the text. Methodologically, it first aimed to identify if the theme of violence was contemplated in official documents, and if so, which are the guidelines that orient elder care, not only regarding attendance, but also regarding prevention actions. The conclusions are that official policies, with special emphasis to the Elder Statute and the National Policy to Elder Care, are very slowly incorporating this theme and offering support to the Protection Network, mainly in this first decade of the 21st century.

[Health care for aged victims of accidents and violence: analysis of SUS health services in Recife (PE, Brazil)]. / Assistência à saúde dos idosos vítimas de acidentes e violência: uma análise da rede de serviços SUS no Recife (PE, Brasil).

A situational diagnosis of the health services regarding the care of aged victims of accidents and violence (AVAV) was carried out in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. The National Policy for Reducing Accident and Violence Related Morbidity and Mortality and the National Policy for the Aged People Health were used as references. The methodology was based on the triangulation method, with both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Questionnaires and interviews were answered by managers and health staff of hospital, prehospital and rehabilitation services; and local aged health policy managers. In 2006, only the Family Health Program reported prehospital care for AVAV, 31 cases were due to violence and 18 to accidents. The hospital care for aged people was 7.2% of the total care, 27% from accidents and 10% from violence. In the same year, there was no record of rehabilitation care of AVAV. The directives of the policies studied are only partially followed. The health care is deficient in several aspects, such as: clinical protocols; notification devices; support to the aged, caregivers and aggressors; and also continuous training. This analysis can be such a contribution to the reorganization of the local health system, recognizing the aged person as vulnerable to accidents and violence.

[Perceptions of managers and health professionals about health care to elderly victims of violence in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ, Brazil)]. / Percepções de gestores e profissionais de saúde sobre a atenção aos idosos vítimas de violências no município do Rio de Janeiro (RJ, Brasil).

This article presents the vision of managers and health professionals about the care of elderly victims of violence in Rio de Janeiro, showing the specificities of this attention in pre-hospital, hospital and rehabilitation areas, including mental health services. Based on a qualitative methodology, 20 semi-structured interviews with managers and health professionals were produced. The analysis considered the perceptions about violence against elderly, and the specificities of attention provided by SUS services to elderly victims. The State, the family and the social support organizations emerged as structuring categories of the network of care for elderly victims of violence. All attention areas presented insufficient care services or specific programs for the elderly victims of accidents and violence. Also there was a precarious network of social support for care of dependent elderly. With few exceptions elderly are treated as anyone else in public health services, without the priority set by the Statute of the Elderly. The family is called to participate in the care for the elderly in all areas of care. Abandonment, neglect, physical and psychological abuse against seniors cases were reported.

[Analysis of hospital clinical services to elderly victims of accidents and violence]. / Análise dos serviços hospitalares clínicos aos idosos vítimas de acidentes e violências.

The increase of elderly population and more active life allow a greater exposure to accidents and violence in this population. A diagnostic analysis of hospital services for emergency and urgent care to victims of accidents and violence in the elderly population was carried out in five capitals of Brazil. The research was based on the principles of triangulation of methods, including quantitative approaches, through the application of questionnaires to managers and pre-hospital, hospital and rehabilitation service professionals, as well as qualitative, in which interviews were made with managers and professionals and with those in charge of elderly health. Based on the guidelines of the policies studied, it was realized that none of the capitals has met all requirements, with a poor attendance characterized by lack of structure to keep a companion for the elderly, referrals to reference services, specific clinical protocols, reporting sheets, support to the elderly, job training and definition of the flow for this population. The outcome showed that the selected health services do not have the appropriate and integral profile to look after the elderly population, demonstrating the need for adequacy of these services aiming the accomplishment of the guidelines of the policies reviewed.

[Systematic review of the Brazilian academic production about external causes and violence against the elderly]. / Revisão sistemática da produção acadêmica brasileira sobre causas externas e violências contra a pessoa idosa.

This article presents a review about violence against the elderly, covering the period of 2000 to 2009. The database used in this research was the collection of articles, books, book chapters, manuals and plans of action of the Virtual Library on Violence and Health. We analyzed 115 documents divided into the following categories: falls; external causes and violence in general; epidemiological and socio-epidemiological studies; prevention of violence; violence and accidents in the family; conceptual and methodological review; legal order and denunciation; violence from the elderly's point of view; health services, professionals and caretakers; and construction and validation of research instruments. The results show a relevant increase in production and methodological improvement in public health, social work, law, physiotherapy, nursing, psychology and otorhinolaryngology. However, there are issues that have not been sufficiently approached such as traffic accidents, homicides, suicides, drowning and suffocation.

[Scenario of the service to damage provoked by accidents and violence against elderly at SUS in Manaus (AM, Brazil)]. / Cenário do atendimento aos agravos provocados por acidentes e violência contra idosos na rede SUS de Manaus (AM, Brasil).

The aim of this article is to describe the public service of Manaus to elderly, either victims of accidents or violence, on three levels of service (32 pre-hospital, 5 hospital and 5 rehabilitation). It is a descriptive study with a quantitative and qualitative approach, where 42 health units were investigated. The results reveal that the emergency services department presents a better physical structure. The organization concerning these matters is still incipient in Manaus. It was detected scarcity in the number of hospital beds and vacancies in the intensive care unit to offer the continuity of the treatment. There's a need for professional qualifications and medical specialties to attend elderly admitted due to injury. Very little has been done in the prevention area. Data entry and notification appear as one of the weakest points on the three levels of attention. The most critical point is related to hospitalization, being this level of attention largely mentioned by managers and health professionals as in great need for re-structuring.