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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research article

Mortality from suicide and other external cause injuries in China: a prospective cohort study

Authors: Casey M Rebholz, Dongfeng Gu, Wenjie Yang, Jing Chen, Xigui Wu, Jian-feng Huang, Ji-chun Chen, Chung-Shiuan Chen, Tanika N Kelly, Xiufang Duan, Lydia A Bazzano, Jiang He

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

Premature death from suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. However, the pattern and risk factors for suicide and other external cause injuries are not well understood. This study investigates mortality from suicide and other injuries and associated risk factors in China.

Methods

A prospective cohort study of 169,871 Chinese adults aged 40 years and older was conducted. Mortality due to suicide or other external cause injuries was recorded.

Results

Mortality from all external causes was 58.7/100,000 (72.3 in men and 44.4 in women): 14.1/100,000 (14.2 in men and 14.2 in women) for suicide and 44.6/100,000 (58.1 in men and 30.2 in women) for other external cause injuries. Transport accidents (17.2/100,000 overall, 23.4 in men and 10.8 in women), accidental poisoning (7.5/100,000 overall, 10.2 in men and 4.8 in women), and accidental falls (5.7/100,000 overall, 6.5 in men and 5.0 in women) were the three leading causes of death from other external cause injuries in China. In the multivariable analysis, male sex (relative risk [RR] 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.38), age 70 years and older (2.27, 1.29-3.98), living in north China (1.68, 1.20-2.36) and rural residence (2.82, 1.76-4.51) were associated with increased mortality from suicide. Male sex (RR 2.50, 95% CI 1.95-3.20), age 60-69 years (1.93, 1.45-2.58) and 70 years and older (3.58, 2.58-4.97), rural residence (2.29, 1.77-2.96), and having no education (1.56, 1.00-2.43) were associated with increased mortality from other external cause injuries, while overweight (0.60, 0.43-0.83) was associated with decreased risk of mortality from other external cause injuries.

Conclusions

External cause mortality has become a major public health problem in China. Developing an integrated national program for the prevention of mortality due to external cause injuries in China is warranted.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Mortality from suicide and other external cause injuries in China: a prospective cohort study
Authors
Casey M Rebholz
Dongfeng Gu
Wenjie Yang
Jing Chen
Xigui Wu
Jian-feng Huang
Ji-chun Chen
Chung-Shiuan Chen
Tanika N Kelly
Xiufang Duan
Lydia A Bazzano
Jiang He
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-56

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