Maternal Mortality from Suicide, Colombia 2019-2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33610/28059611.190Keywords:
Maternal mortality, Suicide, Maternal health, Public health surveillancAbstract
Background. Suicide during pregnancy and within the first year postpartum is associated with multiple factors, including maternal age, education level, multiparity, marital status, economic situation, childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, psychiatric comorbidity, and a history of suicide attempts. This is a public health issue that requires further analysis and awareness. Objective. To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of maternal mortality from suicide in Colombia. Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study using maternal mortality cases reported to the Public Health Surveillance System between 2019 and 2023. Absolute frequencies and measures of central tendency for time, place, and person variables were calculated. The ratio was also calculated, and unusual behavior was analyzed using the Poisson probability distribution. Results. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 2,674 maternal deaths, of which 71 were due to suicide, representing 63 % of coincident deaths and 2,7 % of total deaths. The highest number of suicides occurred in women aged 15 to 19 living in rural areas and enrolled in the subsidized health regime. Hanging was the mechanism used in 49,3 % of cases, and chemical substance poisoning in 42,3 %. Information to identify risk factors was not available. Conclusion. Maternal mortality from suicide during pregnancy and the first postpartum year represents a significant proportion, surpassing direct causes such as pregnancy terminated by abortion with hemorrhage as the direct cause, which has increased in 2023 compared to the 2019–2022 historical average.References
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