No effect of unemployment on intimate partner-related femicide during the financial crisis: a longitudinal ecological study in Spain

BMC Public Health

Research Article

B. Sanz-Barbero¹  J. Torrubiano-Domínguez²  C. Vives-Cases³  C. Álvarez-Dardet³  I. Goicolea⁴  M. San-Sebastián⁵ 

[1] CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain;National School of Public Health, Institute of Health “Carlos III”, Madrid, Spain;Public Health Research Group, Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Alicante University, San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03080, Alicante, Spain;Public Health Research Group, Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Alicante University, San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03080, Alicante, Spain;CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain;Public Health Research Group, Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Alicante University, San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03080, Alicante, Spain;Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;

关键词: Spouse abuse;    Economic recession;    Mortality;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-2322-0

 received in 2014-12-08, accepted in 2015-09-22,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSpain’s financial crisis has been characterized by an increase in unemployment. This increase could have produced an increase in deaths of women due to intimate partner-related femicides (IPF). This study aims to determine whether the increase in unemployment among both sexes in different regions in Spain is related to an increase in the rates of IPF during the current financial crisis period.MethodsAn ecological longitudinal study was carried out in Spain’s 17 regions. Two study periods were defined: pre-crisis period (2005–2007) and crisis period (2008–2013). IPF rates adjusted by age and unemployment rates for men and women were calculated. We fitted multilevel linear regression models in which observations at level 1 were nested within regions according to a repeated measurements design.ResultsRates of unemployment have progressively increased in Spain, rising above 20 % from 2008 to 2013 in some regions. IPF rates decreased in some regions during crisis period with respect to pre-crisis period. The multilevel analysis does not support the existence of a significant relationship between the increase in unemployment in men and women and the decrease in IPF since 2008.DiscussionThe increase in unemployment in men and women in Spain does not appear to have an effect on IPF. The results of the multilevel analysis discard the hypothesis that the increase in the rates of unemployment in women and men are related to an increase in IPF rates.ConclusionsThe decline in IPF since 2008 might be interpreted as the result of exposure to other factors such as the lower frequency of divorces in recent years or the medium term effects of the integral protection measures of the law on gender violence that began in 2005.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Torrubiano-Domínguez et al. 2015