[Trend in mortality from external causes in pregnant and postpartum women and its relationship to socioeconomic factors in Colombia, 1998-2010].

OBJECTIVE

Determine the trend in mortality from external causes in pregnant and postpartum women and its relationship to socioeconomic factors.

METHODS

Descriptive study, based on the official registries of deaths reported by the National Statistics Agency, 1998-2010. The trend was analyzed using Poisson regressions. Bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression models were constructed to explore the relationship between mortality and socioeconomic factors: human development index, Gini index, gross domestic product, unsatisfied basic needs, unemployment rate, poverty, extreme poverty, quality of life index, illiteracy rate, and percentage of affiliation to the Social Security System.

RESULTS

A total of 2 223 female deaths from external causes were recorded, of which 1 429 occurred during pregnancy and 794 in the postpartum period. The gross mortality rate dropped from 30.7 per 100 000 live births plus fetal deaths in 1998 to 16.7 in 2010. A downward curve with no significant inflection points was shown in the risk of dying from this cause. The multiple linear regression model showed a correlation between mortality and extreme poverty and the illiteracy rate, suggesting that these indicators could explain 89.4% of the change in mortality from external causes in pregnant and postpartum women each year in Colombia.

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality from external causes in pregnant and postpartum women showed a significant downward trend that may be explained by important socioeconomic changes in the country, including a decrease in extreme poverty and in the illiteracy rate.