title: Fatal violence among children under 15 years in four cities of South Africa, 2001-2005.
abstract: Homicide rates for South African children were estimated at double the global average in 2000. This article presents a secondary data analysis of the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS), with full coverage in four major metropolitan cities. Child homicide rates for 2001-2005 were calculated within the 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 year age groups. The homicide rates were similar to the global pattern, with higher rates for boys, and among children aged 0-4 years than for older children. Poisson regression, accounting for city level clustering, was used to investigate age, sex and period effects in the homicide rate. The model indicated that the gender difference was more marked in the 10-14 year age groups (RR = 2.17; 95% CI 1.97-2.38) than in the 5-9 year (RR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.27-1.62) with the 0-4 year age group in-between (RR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.55-2.10). These data confirm previous observations that fatal violence among children is a public health concern, but, given the high rates of homicide among South African adults and other competing public health problems, it is difficult to motivate for action to address the issue of violence against children. Nonetheless, there are sufficient indications that efforts to reduce childhood violence are urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. megan.prinsloo@mrc.ac.za
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prinsloo
authors.forename: Ria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laubscher
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neethling
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002947:Cities / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000401:mortality; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000401:mortality; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000401:mortality