Association between daily environmental temperature and suicide mortality in Korea (2001-2005).
Summary of "Association between daily environmental temperature and suicide mortality in Korea (2001-2005)."
Little attention has been paid to whether temperature is associated with suicide and to whether suicide seasonality appears in Asian countries as shown in Western countries, even though suicide rates in Korea have increased steadily. The goal of the present study was to examine the association between daily temperature and daily suicide rate in Korea, taking gender, age, and education level into account. Data were analyzed using a generalized additive model, adjusting for confounding factors such as sunshine, relative humidity, holidays, and long-term trends. Suicide rates were higher in spring and summer than other seasons. We observed a 1.4% increase (95% confidence interval=1.0-1.7%) in suicide with each 1°C-increase in daily mean temperature. The suicide risks related to the temperature for males, elderly people, and those with less education were higher than for females, younger people, and those with more education, respectively. These findings have confirmed that temperature is associated with suicide in Korea and further our understanding of more susceptible groups, the effects of gender, age, and education level. Therefore, temperature, one of the meteorological factors, is an important risk factor on suicide.
Affiliation
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-724, Republic of Korea.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Psychiatry research
ISSN: 0165-1781
Pages: 390-6
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20828832
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2010.08.006
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Korea
Former kingdom, located on Korea Peninsula between Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea on east coast of Asia. In 1948, the kingdom ceased and two independent countries were formed, divided by the 38th parallel.
Republic Of Korea
The capital is Seoul. The country, established September 9, 1948, is located on the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Its northern border is shared with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Biodegradation, Environmental
Elimination of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS; PESTICIDES and other waste using living organisms, usually involving intervention of environmental or sanitation engineers.
Incubators
Insulated enclosures in which temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions can be regulated at levels optimal for growth, hatching, reproduction, or metabolic reactions.
Environmental Remediation
Removal of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS or contaminants for the general protection of the environment. This is accomplished by various chemical, biological, and bulk movement methods, in conjunction with ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING.
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