scholarly journals Gender differences in suicide in Serbia within the period 2006-2010

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordana Dedic

Background/Aim. The complex multifactorial etiology of suicide suggests the need to consider gender differences when developing effective strategies for suicide prevention. The aim of this study was to examine the suicide rates and/or trends obtained for population as a whole, including gender differences in cases of committed suicide and to consider factors (age groups, education, employment, marital status, nationality and methods) associated with it in Serbia within the period 2006-2010. Methods. Data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Their classification related to the suicide method was carried out on the basis of ICD-X Code, WHO 1992 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th revision, World Health Organization). Statistical analysis was done by using the crude specific suicide rate. Results. Within the period 2006-2010 the total number of suicides in Serbia was 6,673, of which 71.9% were males and 28.1% females (male to female suicide ratio 2.56 : 1). Their average rate was 18.15 per 100,000 persons, namely, 26.85 per 100,000 for males and 9.92 per 100,000 for females. Suicide was most often committed by married males and females with high school education, retired, by the Serbs. The suicide rate in Serbia increased paralelly with the age of suicide committers and it was the highest in subjects of both genders aged over 75 years. The most common suicide method in males (62.78%) and in females (58.38%) was hanging and strangling. The second most common method in males was by firearm (18.65%) and in females poisoning (19.26%). Conclusions. Suicide prevention Programme should be primarily oriented toward the male population because it is more exposed to stress in the period of social transition, but males are still less ready to ask for doctor's help when having some problems with mental health.

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 1165-1171
Author(s):  
Gordana Dedic ◽  
Srdjan Dedic

Background/Aim. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estrimates that approximately 1,000,000 people die by suicide every year. The aim of this study was to examine the gender differences in cases of committed suicides, including suicide rates, socio-demographic factors and methods of suicide in Serbia within the period 2011?2015. This investigation is continuing the previous investigation from the period 2006?2010. Methods. Data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Their classification related to the suicide method was carried out on the basis of International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revions- Clinical Modification (ICD-X-CM) (WHO 1992). Statistical analysis was done by using the crude number of committed suicide. Results. Within the period 2011?2015, the total number of suicides in Serbia was 5,897, of which 74.56% were males and 25.44% females (male to female suicide ratio was 2.93). Annual suicide rate (per 100,000) showed constantly decreased from 2011 to 2015, and in 2015 it was 15. Male/female suicide ratio was the highest among adolescents and decreased with age. The suicide was the most often committed by married males (47.6%) and widowed females (38.86%) with completed high school, retired, Serbs. About a quarter (23.38%) suicide committers were older than 75 years, and 39.39% were older than 65 years. The most common suicide method males (64.63%) and females (59.00%) used was hanging, strangulation and suffocation. The second most common method males used was by firearm (18.96%) and females by poisoning (16.73%). Conclusions. Suicide Prevention Programme in Serbia should be primarily oriented towards two age groups at highest risk to commit suicide, towards the adolescents whose suicide was on the rise and towards the elderly male population, less ready to refer to the doctors for help because of problems related to their mental health. With the aim to suicide prevention, doctors should become familiar with community, state and national resources that are concerned with youth and elderly populations, including mental health institutions, family and crisis intervention centers.


2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 371-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanja Kocic ◽  
Caslav Milic ◽  
Gordana Grbic ◽  
Aleksandar Plasic ◽  
Zoran Tatic

Background/Aim. World Health Organization (WHO) in its plan for health policy until the year 2010, has taken reduction of risk factors of suicide as its 12th aim. Because of the fact that the problem of suicide is also significant health problem in our society, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of life period as a risk factor for suicide in the area of the town of Kragujevac. Methods. In total 211 persons, both sexes, aged between 17 and 91 years, from the area of the town of Kragujevac, who had been committed a suicide during the period from 1996 to 2005, were included in a retrospective study. This study included the analysis of: conditions prior to suicide, locations of suicide, motives for suicide, the ways of committing suicide. For statistical analysis ?2 test and univariante regression model were used. Results. Average rate of suicide, in analyzed period, moved from 8.7 to 27 with a mean value of 14.6? 6.9. Suicide rates were the lowest in the age group from 15 to 24 years and the highest in the age group above 65 years (p < 0.05). Among the presuicidal conditions, within any age groups the presence of mental disease dominated as a factor for suicide, but within the oldest one in which organic diseases prevailed as a factor for suicide (p < 0.05). Statistically significant fact is that a house (flat) was the main location for committing suicide in any age groups. Motives for suicide were significantly different within the groups and they were mostly unknown. Committing suicide by hanging was the most frequent way of suicide among any age groups. Univariant regression analysis failed to show any impact of age on the analyzed factors. Conclusion. Because of the fact that an average rate of suicide in elderly increases it is obligatory to primarily determine risk factors for suicide among people more than 65 years of age. Physicians should play the most important role in that.


Author(s):  
Nathalia Ribeiro Pinho de Sousa ◽  
Barbara Carvalho de Souza ◽  
José Mourão de Aquino Neto ◽  
Maria Hortencia Ribeiro Gomes ◽  
Inis Stella Lacerda Borges de Sá ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSuicide constitutes an important global public health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that global suicide mortality increased about 60% in the last 45 years. In Brazil, the suicide rate increased 29.5% from 1980 to 2006. Among all 27 Brazilian states, Ceará occupies the 9th position in rates of suicide and Fortaleza, its state capital, had the 4th highest suicide rate among Brazilian capitals, between entre 2004 and 2006. The aim of PRAVIDA (Programa de apoio à vida - Program to support life) is to prevent suicide through therapeutic assistance, dissemination of information and research about suicide. PRAVIDA was created in Fortaleza (CE), in 2004. This program is part of the Federal University of Ceará constitute by medical doctors, professors of psychiatry and psychology, as well as students undergraduates of medicine and psychology. The objective of this work is to present the pioneering experience of PRAVIDA regarding the therapeutic care of patients with suicidal ideation or attempted suicide, as well as to present other suicide prevention strategies used in the program. PRAVIDA follow up subjects for at least three months - 345 people with a history of suicide attempts we followed from 2010 to 2013. No cases of suicide occurred during this thee month period. Furthermore, there is a need of expansion of the program activities in other institutions to allow for a more representative range of their interventions in the city of Fortaleza. Therefore, PRAVIDA intends to establish partnerships to facilitate new strategies to prevent suicide and improve the knowledge on the topic, stimulating appreciation of life, the host and the listening subject who seek medical treatment in the program.RESUMOO suicídio constitui um importante problema de saúde pública no mundo. A Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) estima que a mortalidade global de suicídio aumentou cerca de 60% nos últimos 45 anos. No Brasil, a taxa de suicídio cresceu 29,5% entre 1980 e 2006. Entre os 27 estados brasileiros, o Ceará ocupa a 9ª posição nos índices de suicídio, e Fortaleza, capital do estado, teve a 4ª maior taxa de suicídio entre as capitais brasileiras, entre 2004 e 2006. O objetivo do PRAVIDA (Programa de Apoio à Vida) é prevenir o suicídio por meio de assistência terapêutica, divulgação de informações e pesquisas sobre o tema. O PRAVIDA foi criado em Fortaleza (CE), em 2004, e faz parte da Universidade Federal do Ceará, sendo constituído por médicos, professores de psiquiatria e psicologia, bem como alunos de graduação de medicina e psicologia. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a experiência pioneira de PRAVIDA sobre o cuidado terapêutico de pacientes com ideação suicida ou tentativa de suicídio, além de apresentar outras estratégias utilizadas no programa. O PRAVIDA acompanhou, por no mínimo três meses, 345 pessoas com histórico de tentativa de suicídio de 2010 a 2013, não ocorrendo casos de suicídio durante esse período. Existe ainda a necessidade de expansão das atividades do programa em outras instituições para permitir uma ação mais representativa na cidade de Fortaleza. Portanto, o PRAVIDA pretende estabelecer parcerias para facilitar novas estratégias de prevenção do suicídio e melhorar o conhecimento sobre o tema, estimulando a valorização da vida, o acolhimento e a escuta do sujeito que busca atendimento no Programa.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Dereń ◽  
Justyna Wyszyńska ◽  
Serhiy Nyankovskyy ◽  
Olena Nyankovska ◽  
Marta Yatsula ◽  
...  

Overweight and obesity, as well as underweight in children and adolescents, pose a significant public health issue. This study aimed to investigate the secular trend of the incidence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in children from Ukraine in 2013/2014 and 2018/2019. The studies were conducted in randomly selected primary and secondary schools in Ukraine. In total, 13,447 children (6468 boys and 6979 girls) participated in the study in 2013/2014 and 18,144 children (8717 boys and 9427 girls) participated in 2018/2019. Measurements of body weight and height were performed in triplicate. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were diagnosed according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the group of girls, a significant difference between 2013/2014 and 2018/2019 measurements was found only among 7-year-olds. The percentage of girls at this age exceeding the body mass index (BMI) norm was lower in the 2018/2019 study. In boys, a significant difference was also found in 7-year-olds, and, as in girls, a lower share of overweight and obesity was found in 2018/2019. But for the ages of 12, 13, and 15, the significant differences had a different character—more overweight or obese boys were found in the 2018/2019 study. The proportion of underweight children was similar for the majority of age groups in both genders and did not differ in a statistically significant way.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2351
Author(s):  
Łukasz Kuźma ◽  
Krzysztof Struniawski ◽  
Szymon Pogorzelski ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽  
Sławomir Dobrzycki

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan-Fen Wang ◽  
Kam-Tsun Tang ◽  
Wen-Harn Pan ◽  
Justin Ging-Shing Won ◽  
Yao-Te Hsieh ◽  
...  

Background: In 2003, Taiwan’s iodine policy changed from mandatory to voluntary. The Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 2001-2002 for schoolchildren showed adequate iodine nutrition, while NAHSIT 2005-2008 for adults showed the iodine status was at borderline adequacy. Objective: To investigate the iodine status of the Taiwanese population from schoolchildren to adulthood 10 years after the change of the salt iodization policy. Method: Urinary iodine was measured in samples from subjects in NAHSIT 2013. Results: The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of the Taiwanese population aged 6 years and above in 2013 was 96 μg/L, indicating mild iodine deficiency. The median UIC of 6- to 12-year-old schoolchildren was 124 μg/L (interquartile range [IQR]: 92-213 μg/L), and 115 μg/L (IQR: 80-166 μg/L), 125 μg/L (IQR: 74-161 μg/L), 73 μg/L (IQR: 52-131 μg/L), and 78 μg/L (IQR: 52-132 μg/L) in populations aged 13 to 18 years, 19 to 44 years, 45 to 64 years, and ≥65 years, respectively. Declining iodine nutrition in age groups ≥45 years old was noted that the median UIC of populations aged 45 to 64 years and ≥65 years was 99 and 88 μg/L, respectively, in NAHSIT 2005-2008. The median UIC of schoolchildren was not lower than that during the mandatory salt fortification period, but the distribution of urinary iodine levels signified a dietary pattern change. Conclusion: Wide-ranging variation in iodine nutrition levels was observed in different age groups. Universal salt iodization, as suggested by the World Health Organization, should be the best strategy to achieve adequate iodine nutrition.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamás Kurimay

The Republic of Hungary is a landlocked country of 93000 km2 in central Europe; it is bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Its official language is Hungarian. Hungary joined the European Union (EU) in 2004. About 90% of the population of c. 10 million is ethnically Hungarian, with Roma comprising the largest minority population (6–8%). Currently classified as a middle-income country with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $191.7 billion (2007 figure), Hungary's total health spending accounted for 7.4% of GDP in 2007, less than the average of 8.9% among member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2009). The proportion of the total health budget for mental health is 5.1%, which is low when compared with, for instance, the UK (England and Wales 13.8%, Scotland 9.5%) (World Health Organization, 2008, p. 118, Fig. 8.1).


Curationis ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
VJ Ehlers ◽  
T Maja ◽  
E Sellers ◽  
M Gololo

A financial grant was received from the World Health Organization (WHO) during 1998 to establish whether adolescent mothers (aged 19 or younger at the birth of their babies) utilized contraceptive, emergency contraceptive and termination of pregnancy (TOP) services in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). This report refers to data obtained from 111 questionnaires completed by dolescent mothers between January 2000 and May 2000 in the Gauteng Province; 61 in the Pretoria and 50 in the Garankuwa areas, and excluding the 12 completed questionnaires used foi pretesting the research instrument. The biographic data of the 111 adolescent mothers indicated that the minority were married, employed or earned sufficient income to care for themselves and their babies. However, the minority used contraceptives prior to conception, none used emergency contraceptives or termination of pregnancy (TOP) services. The minority attended ante-natal clinics five or more times during their pregnancies, and a negligible number indicated that they had ever been treated for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These findings indicate that the 111 adolescent mothers in Gauteng who participated in this survey did not make optimum use of the available reproductive health (RH) care services. Education about sex, pregnancy and contraceptives should commence at the age of 10, but no later than the age of 12 as the majority of respondents did not have the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about their futures. The accessibility of contraceptive, emergency contraceptive and TOP services for adolescents should be investigated in specific areas and attempts made to enhance such accessi- bility. This might necessitate offering these services over weeker| ds or during evenings when school girls could attend without fear of meeting their mothers, aunts or teachers at these clinics.


2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-439
Author(s):  
O A Zhdanova

Aim. To investigate physical development of children in Voronezh region in different age groups in 2011-2014 in comparison with the regional studies data in 1997-1999. Methods. The study was performed on 5644 children aged 1-18 years of health groups I and II in comparison with the data of 10 247 children aged 1-14 years examined in 1997-1999. Body height, weight and body mass index Z-scores, calculated using WHO AnthroPlus software, were evaluated. Results. Children’s Z-score values for body height in 2011-2014 were higher than in 1997-1999 in all age groups and at the age of 1-9 years these values exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Girls’ height approached the standards in 10-14 and 15-18 years, and boys’ height - in 15-18 years. Body weight of children aged 2-8 years was higher than the regional data in 1997-1999 and WHO standards approaching them at the age of 9. Body mass index increase compared to WHO standards was revealed in children aged 1-4 years (p=0.000), and in 2011-2014 the reported differences were less prominent than in 1997-1999. In 2011-2014 among 15-18-years-old girls the shift of body mass index values to the lack of body weight was noted, in 1997-1999 the same changes were found out for 10-14-years-old girls. Conclusion. In 2011-2014 specific attention was required to be paid to physical development of children at the age from 1 to 4 years due to overweight risk of and girls aged 15-18 years due to probable underweight risk.


2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-7
Author(s):  
Carolina de Mello-Santos ◽  
José Manoel Bertolote ◽  
Yuan-Pang Wang

Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America (in 2002 the population was approximately 175 million). Although life expectancy in Brazil has increased, suicide and other forms of injury-related mortality, such as homicide and accident, have increased as a proportion of overall mortality (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 1984; Brazil Ministry of Health, 2001). The suicide rate in Brazil (3.0–4.0 per 100 000 inhabitants) is not considered high in global terms (World Health Organization, 1999). Nevertheless, it has followed the world tendency towards growth: during 1980–2000, the suicide rate in Brazil increased by 21%. Elderly people present the highest suicide rates in absolute numbers, but the alarming finding in the Brazilian data is that the youth population is increasingly dying by suicide (Mello-Santos et al, 2005). This statistic partially confirms a forecast by Diekstra & Guilbinat (1993) that the number of deaths by suicide would dramatically increase over the next decades, mainly in developing countries, including Latin America. In these regions, socio-economic factors (such as an increase in divorce and unemployment and a decrease in religiosity) increase the risk of self-harm. We discuss the reasons for the low suicide rate in Brazil and highlight the socio-economic factors affecting its increase among the youth population in particular.


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