Alexander G R, Gibbs T, Massey R M, Altekruse J M
Public Health Rep. 1982 Sep-Oct;97(5):476-82.
In an epidemiologic study of suicide mortality among South Carolina residents for the years 1970--78, death certificates for 2,763 persons were reviewed. The overall suicide rates were lower than those observed in the same period for the United States. As expected, the highest rates were among white males; females and nonwhite males had rates with intermediate values, and nonwhite females, the lowest rates. Rates for white males increased up to age 75. All other race-sex groups peaked at much younger ages. An increase in suicide rates over time appeared in those under 25 years, and a slight decline was observed in residents aged 50--74. Age-race-sex-adjusted rates proved relatively stable over the 9 years. Geographically, race-adjusted rates by county varied from calculated expected values, with some suggestion of a pattern for the counties with the highest rates. However, no urban-rural differences were seen. Examination of methods used to commit suicide reveals that firearms were the most common means in all race-sex groups, accounting for 78.7 percent of deaths. The percentage of firearm users was almost identical among white males and white females, differing markedly from the country as a whole. Females of both race groups were more likely to have used poisons than males, but the percentage of those who used poisons was much less than would be expected from national data. This study confirms previous findings of sex and race differentials, rate changes with age, increasing rates in young people, and lower overall rates in the Southeast compared with the entire country. Interpretation of race-sex specific rates, together with suicide methods, lends support to the assertion that suicide rates are independent of methods. Rate trends by age groups over time are believed to have important implications.
在一项对1970年至1978年南卡罗来纳州居民自杀死亡率的流行病学研究中，对2763人的死亡证明进行了审查。总体自杀率低于同期美国的观察值。正如预期的那样，白人男性的自杀率最高；女性和非白人男性的自杀率处于中间值，而非白人女性的自杀率最低。白人男性的自杀率一直上升到75岁。所有其他种族 - 性别人群在年轻得多的年龄达到峰值。25岁以下人群的自杀率随时间上升，而50至74岁居民的自杀率略有下降。经过年龄、种族和性别调整后的自杀率在这9年中相对稳定。在地理上，按县计算的种族调整后的自杀率与预期值有所不同，高自杀率的县似乎呈现出某种模式。然而，未发现城乡差异。对自杀方式的调查显示，枪支是所有种族 - 性别人群中最常见的自杀手段，占死亡人数的78.7%。白人男性和白人女性中枪支使用者的比例几乎相同，与全国整体情况明显不同。两个种族群体的女性使用毒药自杀的可能性都高于男性，但使用毒药自杀的女性比例远低于全国数据的预期。这项研究证实了先前关于性别和种族差异、自杀率随年龄变化、年轻人自杀率上升以及东南部总体自杀率低于全国的研究结果。对特定种族 - 性别的自杀率以及自杀方式的解读支持了自杀率与自杀方式无关的观点。各年龄组自杀率随时间的变化趋势被认为具有重要意义。
