Race/ethnicity and potential suicide misclassification: window on a minority suicide paradox?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Suicide officially kills approximately 30,000 annually in the United States. Analysis of this leading public health problem is complicated by undercounting. Despite persisting socioeconomic and health disparities, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics register suicide rates less than half that of non-Hispanic Whites.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study uses multiple cause-of-death data from the US National Center for Health Statistics to assess whether race/ethnicity, psychiatric comorbidity documentation, and other decedent characteristics were associated with differential potential for suicide misclassification. Subjects were 105,946 White, Black, and Hispanic residents aged 15 years and older, dying in the US between 2003 and 2005, whose manner of death was recorded as suicide or injury of undetermined intent. The main outcome measure was the relative odds of potential suicide misclassification, a binary measure of manner of death: injury of undetermined intent (includes misclassified suicides) versus suicide.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Blacks (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.22-2.57) and Hispanics (1.17, 1.07-1.28) manifested excess potential suicide misclassification relative to Whites. Decedents aged 35-54 (AOR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.84-0.93), 55-74 (0.52, 0.49-0.57), and 75+ years (0.51, 0.46-0.57) showed diminished misclassification potential relative to decedents aged 15-34, while decedents with 0-8 years (1.82, 1.75-1.90) and 9-12 years of education (1.43, 1.40-1.46) showed excess potential relative to the most educated (13+ years). Excess potential suicide misclassification was also apparent for decedents without (AOR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.78-3.51) versus those with psychiatric comorbidity documented on their death certificates, and for decedents whose mode of injury was "less active" (46.33; 43.32-49.55) versus "more active."</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Data disparities might explain much of the Black-White suicide rate gap, if not the Hispanic-White gap. Ameliorative action would extend from training in death certification to routine use of psychological autopsies in equivocal-manner-of-death cases.</p

Análise epidemiológica do suicídio no Brasil entre 1980 e 2006 Epidemiological analysis of suicide in Brazil from 1980 to 2006

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma análise epidemiológica dos índices de suicídio registrados entre 1980 e 2006 nas regiões e capitais estaduais. MÉTODO: Dados referentes à taxa de mortalidade devido ao suicídio foram coletados do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde. RESULTADOS: Entre 1980 e 2006, foi registrado um total de 158.952 casos de suicídio, excluindo-se os casos nos quais os indivíduos tinham menos de 10 anos de idade (n = 68). No período estudado, o índice total de suicídio cresceu de 4,4 para 5,7 mortes por 100.000 habitantes (29,5%). Os índices médios mais altos foram registrados nas regiões Sul (9,3) e Centro-Oeste (6,1). Os homens são os que têm a maior probabilidade de cometer suicídio. Os índices mais altos de suicídio foram registrados na faixa etária de 70 anos ou mais, enquanto que os maiores aumentos aconteceram na faixa etária dos 20 aos 59 anos. As principais características sociodemográficas das pessoas que cometeram suicídio durante o período estudado foram baixo nível educacional e estado civil solteiro. Os métodos mais comuns de suicídio foram por enforcamento, armas de fogo e envenenamento. CONCLUSÃO: Embora o índice brasileiro tenha crescido 29,5% em 26 anos, o índice nacional ainda é considerado baixo se comparado aos índices de suicídio mundiais (média de 4,9 por 100.000 habitantes). Os índices de suicídio nas regiões brasileiras variam muito, ou seja, estão entre 2,7 e 9,3.<br>OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to carry out an epidemiological analysis of the suicide rates found in Brazilian regions and state capitals between 1980 and 2006. METHOD: Data on mortality rates due to suicide were collected from the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (Information Technology Department of the Brazilian Public Health System - DATASUS). RESULTS: A total of 158,952 suicide cases were registered between 1980 and 2006, excluding those cases in which the individual was less than 10 years old (n = 68). In the period under study, the total suicide rate in Brazil increased from 4.4 to 5.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (29.5%). Higher average rates were found in the South (9.3) and Central-West (6.1) regions. Men were more likely to commit suicide. The highest suicide rates were found in the 70-years or above age range while the highest increases were found in the 20 to 59 year age bracket. The most dominant social-demographic characteristics of the persons who committed suicide in the period under study were low educational level and singlehood. The most common methods of suicide were hanging, fire arms and poisoning. CONCLUSION: Although in Brazil the rate increased 29.5% in 26 years, the national rate is still considered to be low when compared to worldwide suicide rates (average of 4.9 per 100,000 inhabitants). Suicide rates in Brazilian regions vary broadly, ranging from 2.7 to 9.3

Advances in Genetic Engineering of Microalgae

Hallmann A. Advances in Genetic Engineering of Microalgae. In: Grand Challenges in Algae Biotechnology. Grand Challenges in Biology and Biotechnology. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2020: 159-221