Norrod Paul E, Sanderson Wayne T, Abner Erin L, Seals Jacqueline, Browning Steve
Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, University of Kentucky.
Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering University of Kentucky.
Rural Ment Health. 2023 Jul 1;47(3):139-151. doi: 10.1037/rmh0000232.
Research suggests that farmer suicide rates are at least two-fold higher than the general population. In estimating rates, prior research considered suicide events among farmers together with farmworkers, fishing, and forestry occupations and included non-farming populations in the defined at-risk populations (i.e., denominators). In this study, we sought to define and differentiate farmer suicide decedents from other agricultural occupations, estimate U.S. farmer suicide rates, and evaluate rate time trends. Farmer suicide decedents were ascertained from the 36 states in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from 2003-2017 using NVDRS occupation data. Farmers were defined as persons responsible for day-to-day farm decisions and operations. An expert panel was convened to classify farmer occupations. Rates were calculated using Census of Agriculture-identified farmers as the rate denominator, and time trends were evaluated using regression. Due to a low number of female decedents, female farmer suicide rates were not estimated. We identified1,575 male farmer suicide decedents and 77 female farmer decedents from the NVDRS during the study period. Aggregated age-specific male farmer suicide rates were highest among farmers ages 65 years and older (22.0/100,000). Estimated suicide rates for male farmers were highest during 2003 (31.8/100,000) and lowest during 2005 (19.2/100,000). Trend analysis revealed a statistically significant 2.4% annual percent change (APC) in rates over the 15-year study period. Suicide rates among male farmers showed evidence of an increase from 2003-2017. Farmer suicide rates parallel the rates of the U.S. population; thus, farmer suicide remains a public health concern.
研究表明，农民自杀率至少是普通人群的两倍。在估计自杀率时，先前的研究将农民以及农场工人、渔业和林业从业者中的自杀事件纳入考虑范围，并将非农业人口纳入定义的高危人群（即分母）。在本研究中，我们试图界定农民自杀死亡者与其他农业职业的差异，估计美国农民自杀率，并评估自杀率的时间趋势。利用国家暴力死亡报告系统（NVDRS）中的职业数据，从2003年至2017年期间的36个州确定了农民自杀死亡者。农民被定义为负责农场日常决策和运营的人员。召集了一个专家小组对农民职业进行分类。自杀率以美国农业普查确定的农民为分母进行计算，并使用回归分析评估时间趋势。由于女性死亡者数量较少，未估计女性农民自杀率。在研究期间，我们从NVDRS中识别出1575名男性农民自杀死亡者和77名女性农民死亡者。65岁及以上农民的年龄别男性农民自杀率汇总后最高（22.0/10万）。男性农民的估计自杀率在2003年最高（31.8/10万），在2005年最低（19.2/10万）。趋势分析显示，在15年的研究期间，自杀率的年百分比变化（APC）具有统计学意义，为2.4%。男性农民的自杀率在2003年至2017年期间呈上升趋势。农民自杀率与美国人口的自杀率平行；因此，农民自杀仍然是一个公共卫生问题。
