Mortality from Homicides in Slums in the City of Belo Horizonte, Brazil: An Evaluation of the Impact of a Re-Urbanization Project

Maria Angélica De Salles Dias, Amélia Augusta De Lima Friche, Sueli Aparecida Mingoti, Dário Alves Da Silva Costa, Amanda Cristina De Souza Andrade, Fernando Márcio Freire, Veneza Berenice De Oliveira and Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa
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Maria Angélica De Salles Dias: Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte (OSUBH), School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Amélia Augusta De Lima Friche: Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte (OSUBH), School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Sueli Aparecida Mingoti: Department of Statistics, Institute of Exact Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Dário Alves Da Silva Costa: Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte (OSUBH), School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Amanda Cristina De Souza Andrade: Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte (OSUBH), School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Fernando Márcio Freire: Department of TI, Belo Horizonte City Hall, Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Veneza Berenice De Oliveira: Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte (OSUBH), School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil
Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa: Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte (OSUBH), School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 30130100, Brazil

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Background : Homicide rates in Brazil are among the highest worldwide. Although not exclusive to large Brazilian cities, homicides find their most important determinants in cities’ slums. In the last decade, an urban renewal process has been initiated in the city of Belo Horizonte, in Brazil. Named Vila Viva project, it includes structuring urban interventions such as urban renewal, social development actions and land regularization in the slums of the city. This study evaluates the project’s effect on homicide rates according to time and interventions. Methods : Homicide rates were analyzed comparing five slums with interventions (S1–S5) to five grouped non-intervened slums (S0), with similar socioeconomic characteristics from 2002 to 2012. Poisson regression model estimates the effect of time of observation and the effect of time of exposure (in years) to a completed intervention, besides the overall risk ratio (RR). Results : Using the time of observation in years, homicide rates decreased in the studied period and even more if considered cumulative time of exposure to a completed intervention for S1, S2, S3 and S4, but not for S5. Conclusions : Although the results of the effect of the interventions are not repeated in all slums, a downward trend in homicide rates has been found, which is connected to the interventions. New approaches could be necessary in order to verify the nexus between slum renewal projects and the reduction of homicide rates.

Keywords: slum upgrading; urbanization; housing; homicides; urban determinants; poverty areas; slums; health impact evaluation; social determinants of health; health in all policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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