Gender differences in age, period, and birth-cohort effects on the suicide mortality rate in Japan, 1985-2006.
Because suicide is increasingly becoming a public health threat in Japan, it is necessary to identify high-risk groups to develop effective preventive measures. The suicide mortality trends from 1985 to 2006 for Japanese aged between 15 and 79 years were analyzed by a Bayesian age-period-cohort analysis to evaluate the independent effects of age, period, and birth cohort. Age-specific effect showed an overall increase with age in both genders, but a distinct increase was noted only among men aged between 50 and 64 years. The period effect exhibited a sudden rise in 1998; this effect was more apparent in men than in women. The cohort-specific effect increased in male birth cohorts born after 1926 and in female birth cohorts born after 1956. In conclusion, a gender difference was detected in the effects of age, period, and cohort on suicide risk among Japanese.
Division of Public Health, Faculty of Nursing, Yamanashi Prefectural University, 1-6-1 Ikeda, Kofu,Yamanashi, Japan. odagiri@yamanashi-ken.ac.jp
Youichi
Y
Odagiri
Hiroyuki
H
Uchida
Miyoko
M
Nakano
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult