title: [Study on the long-term trend of suicidal deaths in Macheng of Hubei province, 1984 - 2008].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the characteristics and the long-term trend of suicidal deaths among the rural population in Hubei province.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on suicide deaths from 1984 through 2008 were released from Macheng Death Registration System and analyzed by year, gender and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The suicidal death rates were decreasing during the last 25 years in Macheng city, with the standardized suicide mortality rapidly decreasing from 113.29/100,000 in 1984 to 20.11/100,000 in 2008. The proportion of suicide deaths in the total deaths caused by injuries were declining but not obviously. Suicide was still the leading cause of deaths among all the deaths due to injuries. Number of suicidal deaths among females was outnumbered the males during the last 25 years, representing 50% - 60% in total suicide deaths annually. The proportion of suicide deaths among the elderly aged 65 and over had significantly increased in the recent years, which accounting for 46.81% of all the suicidal deaths in 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suicide remained the leading cause of injury deaths among the population in this area, especially in females. Attention should be paid to the females and the elderly aged 65 and over, in the rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. chenhui2288@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-xian
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ming-lang
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult