ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

Abstract

Physical violence is a global public health problem. This study aims to characterize physical violence in Santa Catarina by macro-region relating socio-demographic aspects in comparison to the Brazilian reality. The research included reported cases of physical violence in 2017, related to the following socio-demographic aspects: gender, race, education and average household income per capita. This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study. The collection was carried out based on data from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and CENSO 2010. The variables were relativized by the population of the macro-regions. In Santa Catarina, 2,510 cases of physical violence were found in a population of 6,819,124 people, representing a frequency of 3.68 cases for every 10,000 people, in line with the Brazilian average. Despite this, the highest prevalence in the state was in women, according to complete primary school or more. Higher rates were found in the white population, with a higher level of education and a per capita income above the current minimum wage. The present study suggests that in Santa Catarina the findings are contradictory in relation to physical violence in general in Brazil.