title: Correlations for number of sunspots, unemployment rate, and suicide mortality in Japan.
abstract: We studied the correlations among sunspot numbers, business cycles, and suicide mortalitites. Based on data from Japan between 1971 and 2001, a significant negative correlation between sunspot numbers and unemployment rate was found, R= -.17. The correlation between suicide mortality and unemployment rate was positive for males (R=.46) and negative for females (R =-.69). Both are statistically significant. The hypothesis that variation of sun activity may affect the economy and the unemployment rate and hence increase the male suicide mortality is raised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Graduate School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Japan. otsu-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Otsu
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chinami
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgenthale
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D019445:Solar Activity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*