Citation

Garcia HI, Giraldo CA, López MV, Pastor Mdel P, Cardona M, Tapias CE, Cuartas D, Gómez V, Vera CY. Cad. Saude Publica 2012; 28(9): 1699-1712.

Vernacular Title

Treinta años de homicidios en Medellín, Colombia, 1979-2008.

Affiliation

Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Escola Nacional De Saude Publica)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

23033185

Abstract

In Medellín, Colombia, homicides have been the leading cause of death since 1986. Their proportion among total deaths increased from 3.5% in 1976 to 42% in 1991 and subsequently decreased to 7% in 2006. From 1979 to 2008, there were 81,166 homicides (annual mean, 2,706). The homicide rates per 100,000 inhabitants were 44 in 1979 and 47 in 2008, with a peak of 388 in 1991. The current article analyzes homicides in 30 years (1979-2008) using a random sample of 3,414 forensic autopsy reports. The vast majority of victims were males, 92.8% (95%CI: 91.8%; 93.6%), mostly low-income young people from 27 to 33 years of age. Most homicides involved revenge, fights, or armed robberies. The study showed different periods in the homicide epidemic: the first 15 years, with a rapid increase, the second, with a steady decline until 1998, and the third, with a fluctuating but overall steep decline in the last 10 years. This long-term study on violence in Medellin opens possibilities for analyzing and identifying more consistent policies for intervention.

Language: es