Societal determinants of violent death: The extent to which social, economic, and structural characteristics explain differences in violence across Australia, Canada, and the United States

Characterization of Homicides in Mexico: Analysis of 2015-2022

BACKGROUND

In Mexico, homicides are the leading cause of death among men aged 15 to 44 years; however, despite their increase in recent decades, the study of this issue is insufficient, given its magnitude and impact. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns and associated factors of homicides in Mexico from 2015 to 2022.

METHODS

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted, analyzing death records from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography's general mortality databases. Simple frequencies and incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants by sex, year, and state of the Mexican Republic were calculated. Mortality was evaluated by age groups and geographic areas, and bivariate logistic regression models with sociodemographic variables were performed.

RESULTS

Records of 229,182 homicides in Mexico were analyzed, with a median age of 33 years, interquartile range 18. A total of 203,898 (88.96%) were men and 25,284 (11.04%) were women. The majority of deaths occurred in public places and were caused by firearms; women had a higher percentage of homicides at home. States with high incidence rates for both sexes were Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Colima, and Estado de México. The total years of life lost were 9.19 million years. The national incidence of homicides in men showed an upward trend from 2015 to 2019; however, in the case of women, this incidence increased in various age groups during the study period. Occupation, education, marital status, and place of occurrence had significant associations in the logistic regression models.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a spatial-temporal characterization of homicides in Mexico between 2015 and 2022, highlighting the high incidence in men and the upward trend in certain age groups among women. These findings underscore the need for preventive measures and public policies to address this issue in a multisectoral manner.

The Rurality of Intimate Partner Femicide: Examining Risk Factors in Queensland

While violence against women and domestic violence can be seen throughout Australia, emerging evidence suggests that intimate partner femicide (IPF) is more common in rural spaces than urban ones. This study examined 100 IPF cases to determine the rate of femicide and frequency of common risk factors in rural areas of Queensland, Australia. The study also explored how victims accessed services and the characteristics of rural IPF and male offenders. Findings indicated that IPF is more common in rural areas and associated risk factors are similar between urban and rural cases. Rural IPF was more likely to occur during a current relationship and offenders were found to be less likely to conceal their actions. These differences suggest that the physical and social isolation of rural spaces may facilitate higher rates IPF. Implications discuss the need for rural-focused policies and responses.

The process of social death in patients with hip fracture

People with chronic disability and uncontrollable long-term complications following hip fracture have characterist.ics that may predispose them to social death. Continuous physical disability can have negative physical, psychological, and social consequences in these patients. To design care interventions for preventing and controlling social death, it is essential to identify the dimensions and characteristics of this process. Therefore, the present study aimed to explain the process of social death in hip fracture patients. In this study, which was conducted using a grounded theory approach, 20 patients were selected with maximum diversity and 9 professional and non-professional caregivers also through purposive sampling followed by theoretical sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, field notes, and observations. Data were analyzed using the approach proposed by Corbin and Strauss in stages including data analysis for concepts and their dimensions and characteristics, the context, process extraction, and integration of the categories. One core category and 16 main categories, which consisted of 55 subcategories and 212 primary concepts, were extracted. The results showed that the core process of social death in hip fracture is an intentional self-destruction for getting liberated from the conditions of the illness and the disrupted social life after the fracture, which ultimately leads to outcomes such as isolation-seeking and death ideations in these patients. The core category of liberating self-destruction reflects the close relationship between the context, process, and outcomes of social death. The process of social death is social, multidimensional, and complex. So far, no explanatory theory has been presented for this group of patients. Therefore, the results of this study can play an important role in designing helpful interventions for preventing, modifying, and changing the phenomenon of social death.

The Epidemiology of Violent Deaths in Chile between 2001 and 2018: Prevalence, Trends, and Correlates

BACKGROUND

Despite its enormous health and social burden, there are limited published studies describing the epidemiology of violent deaths in Chile. We described violent mortality rate trends in Chile between 2001 and 2018, its current spatial distribution and ecological level correlates.

METHODS

A population-based study using publicly accessible data. We calculated age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 persons for sex, age, intention, and mechanism of death. Next, we used linear regression to estimate time trends for sex and intention. We then employed hierarchical Poisson analyses to model the spatial distribution across 345 municipalities and the influence of six ecological level variables.

RESULTS

The average rate of violent death in Chile between 2001 and 2018 was 15.9 per 100,000 people, with the majority (70.3%) of these attributed to suicide. Suffocation was the most common mechanism of death for suicide (82.3%) and cut/pierce for homicide (43.1%), followed by firearm (33.2%). Violent deaths are trending downward in Chile across all categories except suicides by women, which have remained stable. Poverty rates and urban population were positively associated with violent mortality rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Although violence-related deaths seem to be decreasing, disparities across gender, age group, and geographic location may have continuing effects on mortality rates.

Suicide Rates and Differences in Rates Between Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Populations in the 30 Largest US Cities, 2008-2017

OBJECTIVES

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, and rates vary by race and ethnicity. An analysis of suicide across large US cities is absent from the literature. The objective of this study was to examine suicide rates among the total population, non-Hispanic Black population, and non-Hispanic White population in the United States and in the 30 largest US cities.

METHODS

We used data from the National Vital Statistics System to calculate non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and total age-adjusted suicide rates for the 30 largest US cities and for the entire nation during 2 periods: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. We also examined absolute and relative differences in suicide rates among non-Hispanic White populations and non-Hispanic Black populations in each city.

RESULTS

The overall age-adjusted suicide rate per 100 000 population in the United States increased significantly from 12.3 in 2008-2012 to 13.5 in 2013-2017. Total suicide rates were stable in most cities; rates increased significantly in only 1 city (Louisville), and rates decreased significantly in 2 cities (Boston and Memphis). The non-Hispanic White suicide rate was significantly higher-1.3 to 4.3 times higher-than the non-Hispanic Black suicide rate in 24 of 26 study cities during 2013-2017. From 2008-2012 to 2013-2017, non-Hispanic White suicide rates decreased significantly in 3 cities and increased significantly in 3 cities; non-Hispanic Black suicide rates increased significantly in 5 cities and decreased in none. Absolute differences in suicide rates among non-Hispanic White populations and non-Hispanic Black populations increased significantly in 1 city (Louisville) and decreased significantly in 2 cities (Memphis and Boston).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study may inform the use of evidence-based programs and practices to address population-level risk factors for suicide.

Crime and deviance during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the world and inevitably influenced people's behaviors including the likelihood of crime and deviance. Emerging empirical evidence suggests a decline in certain crimes (e.g., theft, robbery, and assault) but also proliferation of different violent behaviors and cybercriminal activity during the pandemic. To explain those trends, we draw on existent theories and elaborate on how crime and violence have been affected by the changes in people's daily routines and accumulated stressful conditions. However, as recent crime trends appear to be largely inconsistent and vary across social groups and contexts, we argue that social scientists need to pay particular attention to the differential experiences related to crime and violence during this global crisis. Specifically, because of the disproportionate experience of violence by vulnerable groups including minorities and women as well as the unique cross-national variations in deviance, more nuanced approaches to understanding causes of crime are warranted. We also discuss the limitations of present research and provide recommendations for the development of comparative and multi-disciplinary studies on criminal and deviant behaviors that are influenced by human crisis situations.

Violence and social determinants of health in Brazil: association between homicides, urbanization, population, inequality, and development

The aim was to analyze the relations between homicidal violence, human development, inequality, population size, and urbanization rates in Brazilian municipalities. This is a retrospective ecological study of 5,570 Brazilian municipalities which analyzes the relations between the average rate of homicides registered in the Brazilian Mortality Information System (from 2005 to 2015) and selected indicators: municipal human development indices (HDI-M), Gini index, urbanization rates, and quantitative population. Analysis of the relative effect (%) of the variables on the risk for homicidal violence showed a greater association with more populous municipalities (log 10) (80.8%, 95%CI: 73.0; 88.8), more urbanized ones (8%, 95%CI: 6.7; 9.2), with higher Gini index (6%, 95%CI: 2.6; 9.5); whereas the relation with HDI-M is inverse (-17.1%, 95%CI: -21.4; -12.6). National policies which aim to limit population growth and the urbanization of the most populous Brazilian cities could reduce homicide rates across the country. Reducing inequalities and investing in municipal social education, health, and income policies could also reduce the number of homicides. We estimated that improving the HDI-M of the municipalities by 0.1 would cause a national reduction between 7,560 and 12,834 annual homicides, whereas decreasing income inequality (Gini index) by 0.1 would mean saving between 1,569 to 5,448 lives per year.

Health inequalities and income for people with spinal cord injury. A comparison between and within countries

Income and health are related in a bi-directional manner, whereby level of income affects health and vice versa. People in poorer households tend to experience worse health status and higher mortality rates than people in wealthier households, and, at the same time, having poor health could restrict workability leading to less income. This gap exists in almost every country, and it is more pronounced in more unequal countries and in vulnerable populations, such as people experiencing disability. The goal of this paper is to estimate the health-income gap in people with a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), which is a chronic health condition often associated with multiple comorbidities that leads to disability. As data on mortality is inexistent, to estimate the health-income gap for persons with SCI, this paper uses two health outcomes: the number of years a person has lived with the injury, and a comorbidity index. Data was obtained from the International Spinal Cord Injury survey (InSCI), which is the first worldwide survey on community-dwelling persons with SCI. To compare across countries, the health outcomes were adjusted through hierarchical models, accounting for country fixed-effects, individual characteristics such as age and gender, and injury characteristics (cause, type and degree). Our results suggest that for the years living with SCI, the gap varies from 1 to 6 years between the lowest and the highest income groups. The main driver of such a difference is the cause of injury, where injuries caused by work accidents showed the biggest gap. Similarly, for the comorbidity index, persons with SCI in poorer deciles reported significantly more comorbidities, forty times more, than people in richer deciles.

A systemic approach to achieving population-level impact in injury and violence prevention

The contemporary public health model for injury and violence prevention is a four-step process, which has been difficult to fully actualize in real-world contexts. This difficulty results from challenges in bridging science to practice and developing and applying population-level approaches. Prevention programmes and policies are embedded within and impacted by a range of system-level factors, which must be considered and actively managed when addressing complex public health challenges involving multiple sectors and stakeholders. To address these concerns, a systemic approach to population-level injury and violence prevention is being developed and explored by the Division of Analysis, Research, and Practice Integration in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This article makes the case for and provides a high-level overview of this systemic approach, its various components, and how it is being applied in one governmental unit.