title: Homicide in Chile: Trends 2000-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Homicide, an external cause of morbidity and mortality, caused 473,000 deaths worldwide in 2012, a rate of 6.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. The aim of this study was to describe homicide mortality trends in Chile between 2000 and 2012 by year, gender, age group, geographic distribution (by zone and by region) and type of homicide.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a population-based study. Data for homicide mortality in Chile between 2000 and 2012 were used and they were provided by the Chilean Ministry of Health's Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS) and PAHO/WHO. The homicide mortality rates were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. The study variables were year, geographic distribution, gender, age group and type of homicide. The annual percentage change (APC) of the rates was analyzed, and a logarithm of the rates by year and region was fitted by applying linear regression models. In addition, relative risks (RR) were calculated. 95% confidence intervals were considered in all the analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average yearly rate of homicide (HMR) in Chile (2000-2012) was 4.9. The rates were higher in men (8.7) than in women (1.1), with a RR of 8.2. The rates were higher in the country's central zone (5.0), increasing in recent years in the southern zone, with a significant positive APC of 1.1%. The Aisén Region had the highest rate (7.6), although Antofagasta was the region with the most significant APC (3.1%). The highest rate (9.2) was verified in the 25 to 39 age group. The highest rate (5.5) was recorded in 2005. The most frequent type of homicide was assault with an object (44.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the homicide rates are higher in the southern zone of the country, the northern zone is showing a tendency to increase, becoming an even more serious problem, which not only affects those directly involved, but society as a whole.
authors.affiliation: Doctorado en Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de La Frontera, Avenida Alemania 0458, Temuco, Chile. tamara.otzen@ufrontera.cl.|Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile. tamara.otzen@ufrontera.cl.|Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru. tamara.otzen@ufrontera.cl.|Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Baseada em Evidências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. tamara.otzen@ufrontera.cl.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otzen
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Matemática y Estadísticas, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile. sanhueza@paho.org.|Pan American Health Organization/Regional Office of the World Health Organization, Washington, USA. sanhueza@paho.org.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanhueza
authors.affiliation: Doctorado en Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de La Frontera, Avenida Alemania 0458, Temuco, Chile. carlos.manterola@ufrontera.cl.|Departamento de Cirugía, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile. carlos.manterola@ufrontera.cl.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manterola
authors.affiliation: Psychology, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco, Chile. hetzmonica@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hetz
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Melnik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012940:Social Problems; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000639:trends