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Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Intimate femicide–suicide in South Africa: a cross-sectional study

Shanaaz Mathews, Naeemah Abrahams, Rachel Jewkes, Lorna J Martin, Carl Lombard, Lisa Vetten

Volume 86, Number 7, July 2008, 552-558

Table 1. Characteristics of victims

Characteristics Intimatefemicide–suicidea (%)n = 261a Intimate femicide–non suicideb (%)n = 1088a Odds ratio(95% CI) P-value
Victim age
14–29 72.9 (54.8–85.7) 45.4 (35.3–55.9) 1.00
30–39 19.4 (8.5–38.5) 39.3 (28.7–51.0) 0.31 (0.09–0.99) 0.05
40+ 7.6 (3.0–18.3) 15.3 (12.0–19.4) 0.31 (0.11–0.88) 0.03
Median 26 years 30 years
Victim race
African 79.7 (66.8–88.5) 74.9 (56.4–87.3) 1.00
Mixed 5.0 (1.8–13.2) 22.0 (10.0–41.7) 0.21 (0.07–0.65) 0.009
White 10.2 (4.5–21.4) 2.5 (0.9–6.6) 3.9 (0.93–16.44) 0.06
Indian 5.0 (1.8–13.5) 0.7 (0.1–5.6) 6.85 (1.0–48.24) 0.05
Relationship status
Boyfriend 28.8 (18.5–41.9) 27.1 (16.9–40.4) 1.00
Husband 30.8 (16.9–49.4) 15.5 (9.8–23.6) 1.74 (0.66–4.61) 0.25
Cohabiting partner 40.4 (25.6–57.1) 55.5 (42.0–68.2) 0.59 (0.25–1.40) 0.22
Other 0.0 1.9 (0.8–4.6)
Victim employment
Unemployed 40.3 (21.1–62.9) 60.6 (49.4–70.6) 1.00
Employed 44.2 (25.0–65.2) 20.5 (14.5–28.0) 3.24 (1.04–10.12) 0.04
Unknown 15.5 (6.8–31.8) 19.0 (13.3–26.5) 1.22 (0.37–4.06) 0.35
Employment category
Blue-collar 28.4 (11.7–54.1) 58.6 (38.6–76.1) 1.00
Pensioner 5.9 (0.6–38.5) 0.8 (0.09–7.5) 14.47 (0.37–586.67) 0.14
Professional 30.6 (9.5–64.9) 22.0 (9.7–42.5) 2.88 (0.47–17.69) 0.23
Security industry 4.9 (1.6–14.0) 0.8 (0.1–6.5) 11.97 (1.2–118.84) 0.04
Student 30.3 (11.7–58.7) 17.8 (7.8–35.5) 3.53 (0.72–17.21) 0.11
Primary cause of death
Multiple injury 41.1 (21.9–63.6) 47.7 (37.5–57.8) 1.00
Single injury 58.9 (36.4–78.2) 46.9 (38.5–55.4) 1.45 (0.59–3.58) 0.401
Undetermined 0.0 5.6 (2.9–10.5)
Mechanism of death
Gun 82.7 (63.7–92.9) 18.1 (9.7–31.1) 21.7 (5.9–79.7) 0.00
Sharp object 14.7 (5.3–34.5) 38.0 (30.2–46.4) 0.28 (0.08–1.04) 0.05
Blunt force 11.3 (3.2–32.8) 40.7 (30.0–52.4) 0.19 (0.04–0.74) 0.01
Strangled/asphyxiated 2.6 (0.3–19.4) 3.9 (2.1–7.2) 0.66 (0.08–5.67) 0.69
Fire 0.0 1.4 (0.5–3.9)
Drowning 0.0 0.5 (0.2–1.4)
Other 0.0 0.7 (0.2–2.2)

a Weighted estimates.