Suicide methods in Europe: a gender-specific analysis of countries participating in the "European Alliance Against Depression"

Objective: To identify the most frequent gener-specific suicide methods in Europe. Design: Proportions of seven predominant suicide methods utilised in 16 countries participating in the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD)were reported in total and cross-nationally. Relative risk (RR)relating to suicide methods and gender was calculated. To group countries by pattern of suicide methods, hierarchical clustering was applied. Setting and participants: Data on suicide methods for 119 122 male and 41 338 female cases in 2000-4/5 from 16 EAAD countries, covering 52% of European population were obtained. Results: Hanging was the most prevalent suicide method among both males (54.3%) and females (35.6%). For males, hanging was followed by firearms (9.7%) and poisoning by drugs (8.6%); for females, by poisoning by drugs (24.7%)and jumping from a high place (14.5%). Only in Switzerland did hanging rank as second for males after firearms. Hanging ranked first among females in eight countries, poisoning by drugs in five and jumping from a high place in three. In all countries, males had a higher risk than females of using firearms and hanging and a lower risk of poisoning by drugs, drowning and jumping. Grouping showed that countries might be divided into five main groups among males; for females, grouping did not yield clear results. Conclusions: Research on suicide methods could lead to the development of gender-specific intervention strategies. Nevertheless, other approaches, such as better identification and treatment of mental disorders and the improvement of toxicological aid should be put in place

The influence of urban form on car travel following residential relocation : a current and retrospective study in Scottish urban areas

Spatial planning and spatial policy continues to be used as a tool to bring about changes in travel behaviour. Policy suggests that by creating particular urban forms, demand for travel by car can be reduced. This paper uses data collected in 2006 from 280 households in Glasgow and Edinburgh to analyse the relationships between urban form and vehicle miles driven, with an emphasis on those who had recently relocated. Population densities, housing type, distance to urban centre and measures of mix were collected for the current residential location and previous, for those who had relocated in the previous three years. An ordinal regression model of change in urban form showed significant associations with reported change in miles driven, although the effect was small compared with the effects of socio-economic factors and car ownership. While the results give some weight to intensification as a policy to bring about a reduction in average distance driven, there may be an increase in distance driven in the intensified area. Whether or not such intensification can be enacted against a backdrop of preferences towards suburban, car oriented living is contentious. As such, this study calls into question the use of planning policy as a means to reduce car use in Scottish cities

HPV type-specific prevalence using a urine assay in unvaccinated male and female 11- to 18-year olds in Scotland

We conducted a baseline prevalence survey of unvaccinated 11- to 18-year olds to inform effectiveness studies for the new human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme in Scotland

A systematic review comparing the two cardiac procedures namely off-pump CABG and on-pump CABG in terms of the total patency rates

The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review analyzing the total patency rates in off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) and on-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. For more than thirty years, surgical coronary revascularization has been accomplished with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in the vast majority of cases. However, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has enjoyed a recent resurgence in interest and popularity, worldwide. The prime aim was to compare the two procedures and find out the total patency rates in each by there angiographic outcomes along with short and long term follow-up. A total of seven Randomized control trials were included in the systematic review, and the articles were assessed and included if they fulfilled the criteria of Jadad scale and the guidelines of The Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine. This review has yielded independent results in favour of both the surgical procedures. Each of the two surgical procedures has proved its efficacy when subjected to patients with different clinical profile. The papers and the method of selection of patients have been critically appraised in this study. This study has reached a consensus declaring that both the procedures are equally effective when comparing the short and long term outcomes of the total patency rate. On the whole it depends on the surgeon, hospital, staff and other parameters to choose a procedure and the clinical status of the patient in order to approach a specific procedure

Using linked administrative and census data for migration research

This research was funded through the ESRC Secondary Data Analysis Initiative (grant number ES/N011430/1). We acknowledge the help provided by the staff of the Longitudinal Studies Centre - Scotland (LSCS). The LSCS is supported by the ESRC/JISC, the Scottish Funding Council, the Chief Scientist's Office and the Scottish Government.Migration is a core component of population change and is both a symptom and a cause of major economic and social phenomena. However, data limitations mean that gaps remain in our understanding of the patterns and processes of mobility. This is particularly the case for internal migration, which remains under-researched, despite being quantitatively much more significant than international migration. Using the Scottish Longitudinal Study, this paper evaluates the potential value of General Practitioner administrative health data from the National Health Service that can be linked into census-based longitudinal studies for advancing migration research. Issues relating to data quality are considered and, using the illustrative example of internal migration by country of birth, an argument is developed contending that such approaches can offer novel ways of comprehending internal migration, by shedding additional light on the nature of both movers and the moves that they make.PostprintPeer reviewe