Abuabara Alexander, Abuabara Allan, Tonchuk Carin Albino Luçolli
PhD. Student at the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University, College Station (TX), United States.
DDS. Health Auditor, Healthcare Division, Joinville Municipal Authority, Joinville, Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil.
Sao Paulo Med J. 2017 Mar-Apr;135(2):150-156. doi: 10.1590/1516-3180.2016.0207091216.
: The World Health Organization recognizes suicide as a public health priority. Increased knowledge of suicide risk factors is needed in order to be able to adopt effective prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the association between the Gini coefficient (which is used to measure inequality) and suicide death rates over a 14-year period (2000-2013) in Brazil and in the United States (US). The hypothesis put forward was that reduction of income inequality is accompanied by reduction of suicide rates.
: Descriptive cross-sectional time-series study in Brazil and in the US.
: Population, death and suicide death data were extracted from the DATASUS database in Brazil and from the National Center for Health Statistics in the US. Gini coefficient data were obtained from the World Development Indicators. Time series analysis was performed on Brazilian and American official data regarding the number of deaths caused by suicide between 2000 and 2013 and the Gini coefficients of the two countries. The suicide trends were examined and compared.
: Brazil and the US present converging Gini coefficients, mainly due to reduction of inequality in Brazil over the last decade. However, suicide rates are not converging as hypothesized, but are in fact rising in both countries.
: The hypothesis that reduction of income inequality is accompanied by reduction of suicide rates was not verified.
世界卫生组织将自杀视为公共卫生重点问题。为了能够采取有效的预防策略,需要增加对自杀风险因素的了解。本研究的目的是分析和比较基尼系数(用于衡量不平等程度)与巴西和美国在14年期间(2000 - 2013年)自杀死亡率之间的关联。所提出的假设是收入不平等的减少伴随着自杀率的降低。
在巴西和美国进行的描述性横断面时间序列研究。
从巴西的DATASUS数据库以及美国国家卫生统计中心提取人口、死亡和自杀死亡数据。基尼系数数据来自世界发展指标。对巴西和美国2000年至2013年期间自杀死亡人数和两国基尼系数的官方数据进行时间序列分析。对自杀趋势进行了研究和比较。
巴西和美国的基尼系数呈现趋同趋势,主要是由于巴西在过去十年中不平等程度的降低。然而,自杀率并未如假设那样趋同,实际上两国的自杀率都在上升。
收入不平等的减少伴随着自杀率降低这一假设未得到验证。