Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2013.23.3.260

Daily and Monthly Death Pattern an Intentional Self-harm by Hanging, Strangulation and Suffocation in Korea, 2011  

Park, Sang Hwa (Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Population, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University)
Lim, Dar Oh (Korea Health Industry Development Institute)
Publication Information
Health Policy and Management / v.23, no.3, 2013 , pp. 260-265 More about this Journal
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to examine the seasonal variation of death from intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation and suffocation (HSS: Korean Standard Classification of Diseases-6 code: X70) using the 2011 death registry data. Methods: The analysis was based on data of 8,359 HSS deaths from 2011 national vital statistics in Korea. Daily, weekly, and monthly death pattern on HSS were used to examine the relationship seasonal variation and HSS deaths. Results: A total of 8,359 HSS deaths occurred in 2011, with a mean age of 50.6 years. The HSS death rate (per 100,000) was 25.5 in male and 10.8 in female. In one day 17.6 males and 8.0 females occurred HSS death on average. The number of HSS death per day was the highest on 8th June (45 deaths), and lowest on 1st February (7 deaths) during the period. The variations of daily HSS death showed wide fluctuation from a peak of 34 to 45 deaths (29th May to 9th June) to a trough of 17-26 deaths (10th-13th September: the Korean thank-giving consecutive holidays), 13-20 deaths (2nd-5th February: the new year's day by the lunar calendar) and 8-9 deaths (24th-25th December: Christmas holidays). There were no significant difference between gender and seasonal variation (month, season, and week). Conclusion: The mean number of HSS death per day was highest in June (30.6 deaths), and months with the lowest number of deaths was January and December (range, 19.4 to 19.6 deaths). HSS death were more prevalent during summer and spring and were less likely to occur during winter. On Saturdays (21.0 deaths), the number of HSS death per day was the lowest, and Monday (27.9 deaths) was the highest. HSS death was less likely to occur on holidays (21.4 deaths). There was significant seasonal variation in HSS death by weekly and monthly (p<0.01).
Keywords
Death pattern; Self-harm; Hanging; Strangulation; Suffocation;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Hakko H, Rasanen P, Tiihonen J. Seasonal variation in suicide occurrence in Finland. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1998;98(2):92-97.   DOI   ScienceOn
2 Hiltunen L, Suominen K, Lonnqvist J, Partonen T. Relationship between daylength and suicide in Finland. J Circadian Rhythms 2011;9:10.   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Micciolo R, Zimmermann-Tansella C, Williams P, Tansella M. Seasonal variation in suicide: is there a sex difference? Psychol Med 1989;19(1): 199-203.   DOI
4 Benedito-Silva AA, Pires ML, Calil HM. Seasonal variation of suicide in Brazil. Chronobiol Int 2007;24(4):727-737.   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Reutfors J, Osby U, Ekbom A, Nordstrom P, Jokinen J, Papadopoulos FC. Seasonality of suicide in Sweden: relationship with psychiatric disorder. J Affect Disord 2009;119(1-3):59-65.   DOI   ScienceOn
6 Christodoulou C, Douzenis A, Papadopoulos FC, Papadopoulou A, Bouras G, Gournellis R, et al. Suicide and seasonality. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2012;125(2):127-146.   DOI   ScienceOn
7 Parker G, Gao F, Machin D. Seasonality of suicide in Singapore: data from the equator. Psychol Med 2001;31(3):549-553.
8 Heerlein A, Valeria C, Medina B. Seasonal variation in suicidal deaths in Chile: its relationship to latitude. Psychopathology 2006;39(2):75-79.   DOI   ScienceOn
9 Woo JM, Okusaga O, Postolache TT. Seasonality of suicidal behavior. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2012;9(2):531-547.   DOI
10 Yip PS, Chao A, Chiu CW. Seasonal variation in suicides: diminished or vanished. Experience from England and Wales, 1982-1996. Br J Psychiatry 2000;177:366-369.   DOI
11 Blumenthal SJ. Suicide: a guide to risk factors, assessment, and treatment of suicidal patients. Med Clin North Am 1988;72:937-971.   DOI
12 Ajdacic-Gross V, Bopp M, Sansossio R, Lauber C, Gostynski M, Eich D, et al. Diversity and change in suicide seasonality over 125 years. J Epidemiol Community Health 2005;59(11):967-972.   DOI   ScienceOn
13 Rock D, Greenberg DM, Hallmayer JF. Increasing seasonality of suicide in Australia 1970-1999. Psychiatry Res 2003;120(1):43-51.   DOI   ScienceOn
14 Bridges FS, Yip PS, Yang KC. Seasonal changes in suicide in the United States, 1971 to 2000. Percept Mot Skills 2005;100(3 Pt 2):920-924.   DOI   ScienceOn
15 Park SH, Lim DO. Study on daily and monthly pattern of suicide occurrence in Korea (2003). Korean Public Heath Res 2006;32(1):35-40.
16 Hur JW, Lee BH, Lee SW, Shim SH, Han SW, Kim YK. Gender differences in suicidal behavior in Korea. Psychiatry Investig 2008;5(1):28-35.   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Statistics Korea. Korean Statistical Information Service [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea [cited]. Available from: http://kosis.kr/statisticsList/statisticsList_01List.jsp?vwcd=MT_ZTITLE&parentId=A.
18 Miller M, Azrael D, Hemenway D. The epidemiology of case fatality rates for suicide in the northeast. Ann Emerg Med 2004;43(6):723-730.   DOI   ScienceOn
19 Salmeron D, Cirera L, Ballesta M, Navarro-Mateu F. Time trends and geographical variations in mortality due to suicide and causes of undetermined intent in Spain, 1991-2008. J Public Health (Oxf) 2013;35(2):237-245.   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Rasanen P, Hakko H, Jokelainen J, Tiihonen J. Seasonal variation in specific methods of suicide: a national register study of 20,234 finnish people. J Affect Disord 2002;71(1-3):51-59.   DOI   ScienceOn
21 Lin HC, Chen CS, Xirasagar S, Lee HC. Seasonality and climatic associations with violent and nonviolent suicide: a population-based study. Neuropsychobiology 2008;57(1-2):32-37.   DOI   ScienceOn
22 Jessen G, Jensen BF, Arensman E, Bille-Brahe U, Crepet P, De Leo D, et al. Attempted suicide and major public holidays in Europe: findings from the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Parasuicide. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1999;99(6):412-418.   DOI   ScienceOn
23 Johnson H, Brock A, Griffiths C, Rooney C. Mortality from suicide and drug-related poisoning by day of the week in England and Wales, 1993-2002. Health Stat Q 2005;(27):13-16.
24 Nishi M, Miyake H, Okamoto H, Goto Y, Sakai T. Relationship between suicide and holidays. J Epidemiol 2000;10(5):317-320.   DOI
25 Bozsonyi K, Veres E, Zonda T. The effect of public holidays on the suicide drive (frequency) in Hungary (1970-2002). Psychiatr Hung 2005;20(6): 463-471.
26 Yip PS, Yang KC. A comparison of seasonal variation between suicide deaths and attempts in Hong Kong SAR. J Affect Disord 2004;81(3):251-257.   DOI   ScienceOn
27 Partonen T, Haukka J, Nevanlinna H, Lonnqvist J. Analysis of the seasonal pattern in suicide. J Affect Disord 2004;81(2):133-139.   DOI   ScienceOn