CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED TO THE UNDERRE GISTRATION OF DEATHS IN THESTATE OF GUERRERO, MEXICO

Objective. To estimate the frequency of underregistered children death s in rural areas and to identify associated characteristics. Material and methods. The study was conducted in three stages. In the first, th ree strata of communities were formed according to the number of inhab itants; then a representative number of villages was randomly selectee from each stratum. A census was made in each village to determine the deaths occurred between June 1993 and July 1994. In the second stage, the verbal autopsy method was used with the mothers of the dead child ren to determine the cause of death and investigate the study variable s. in the third stage, registration of death was verified through the death certificates, Results. An underregistration frequency of 68.9% w as found; in communities of less than 500 inhabitants underregistratio n reached 73.2% and in larger communities it was 60.5%. Characteristic s associated to underregistration were the lack of birth and death cer tificate, age younger than one month, lack of information on the conce pt and purpose of a Public Registration Office, distance from the Publ ic Registration Office and to the doctor of more than 30 minutes, and community smaller than 1000 inhabitants. Conclusions. A modification i n the current organization of the death registration procedure is prop osed and the use of a birth certificate designed by the National Healt h System.