Mortality data analysis, Cali, Colombia
Abstract
Overall mortality rates have been calculated in Cali, Colombia, but have yet to be calculated by the city’s comunas, which are similar to zip codes in the United States. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1.) to calculate the mortality rates by the 10 mortality indicators among residents from the 22 comunas in the city of Cali between 2008-2012; 2.) The second purpose was to assess the differences in mortality rates among the 22 comunas; and 3.) to explore differences in community characteristics, such as SES and ethnicity, between comunas with high mortality rates and low mortality rates. Data were obtained via the governmental reporting system, DANE, from which crude and age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated using a predictive analytics software IBM SPSS version 22 and epidemiological equations. Results demonstrated that four comunas differed with higher mortality rates than the rest of the comunas: comunas 3, 4, 9, and 13. These high rate comunas were compared with comuna 17, the referent group, which had the lowest mortality rates across most indicators. For the descriptive analysis of the comuna characteristics, SES, ethnicity, social classification, population density, number of higher educational institutions, educational level obtained, number of healthcare facilities, and environmental quality of each comuna were compared between the high and low rate comunas. Findings indicated notable differences between SES, ethnicity, social class, and environmental quality between high mortality rate comunas and the low mortality rate comuna 17 (the referent group). This study documents important differences in mortality rates by place of residence (comuna) in Cali. In better understanding these differences, future research is needed on how demographic, social and behavioral factors may contribute to these disparities in mortality rates such as SES, ethnicity, population density, environmental quality, and health inequalities and inequities in relation to health services and educational attainment. In coordination with the Pan American Health Organization’s Millennium Development Goals, further research on understanding the factors that contribute to the higher mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS and TB in comunas 3 and 9 is warranted.
Subject Area
Public health|Epidemiology
Recommended Citation
Fagerstrom, Kaila, "Mortality data analysis, Cali, Colombia" (2016). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI10182168.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI10182168