Maxillofacial Injuries as Markers of Interpersonal Violence in Belo Horizonte-Brazil: Analysis of the Socio-Spatial Vulnerability of the Location of Victim's Residences.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the spatial pattern of cases of maxillofacial injuries caused by interpersonal violence, based on the location of the victim's residence, and to investigate the existence of conditions of socio-spatial vulnerability in these areas. This is a cross-sectional study, using the data of victims attended in three emergency hospitals in Belo Horizonte-Brazil between January 2008 and December 2010. Based on the process of spatial signature, the socio-spatial condition of the victims was identified according to data from census tracts. The spatial distribution trends of the addresses of victims were analyzed using Kernel maps and Ripley's K function. Multicriteria analysis was used to analyze the territorial insertion of victims, using a combination of variables to obtain the degree of socio-spatial vulnerability. The residences of the victims were distributed in an aggregated manner in urban areas, with a confidence level of 99%. The highest densities were found in areas of unfavorable socioeconomic conditions and, to a lesser extent, areas with worse residential and neighborhood infrastructure. Spatial clusters of households formed in slums with a significant level of socio-spatial vulnerability. Explanations of the living conditions in segregated urban areas and analysis of the concentration of more vulnerable populations should be a priority in the development of public health and safety policies.

[Maxillofacial injuries as markers of urban violence: a comparative analysis between the genders]. / Traumatismos maxilofaciais como marcadores de violência urbana: uma análise comparativa entre gêneros.

Urban violence is a widely discussed topic in various sectors of society, either due to its impact on public health indicators and its influence on the everyday life of individuals or the constant presence of casualties in the health services. This study compares differences in victimization between the genders based on maxillofacial injuries as markers of urban violence. This is a cross-sectional study with data collected in three hospitals of reference for multiple traumatic injuries in Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais, between January 2008 and December 2010. The analysis included descriptive and multivariate statistics using logistic regression. There were records of 7,063 victims, 55.1% of which involved interpersonal violence. The majority of victims were males (71.2%). Among the male victims, firearm and knife-inflicted aggression and motorcycle accidents were more frequent than aggression without the use of a weapon. Multiple fractures were the type of injury that best characterized the profile of victimization among males compared to soft tissue injuries. Gender is an important factor in victimization resulting in maxillofacial injuries and urban violence, in which males are the main victims.