title: Suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea: 2006-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning by burning coal briquette or barbecue charcoal increased rapidly in some East Asian countries in the recent decade. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in suicides from carbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea and their epidemiologic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We presented age-standardized mortality rates of carbon monoxide suicide and compared them with those of suicide by other methods using registered death data from Statistics Korea (South Korea) from 2006 to 2012. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate odds ratios of carbon monoxide suicide by socio-demographic characteristics before and after the marked increase in carbon monoxide suicide in September 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of carbon monoxide suicides in South Korea was only 34 in 2006 but rapidly increased to 267 in 2008 and was 1125 in 2012, with the age-standardized rates of 0.06 (2006), 0.48 (2008), and 1.97 (2012) per 100,000 population respectively (a striking 3,183% increase in 2006-2012). Suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning showed greater odds ratios among men, younger age groups, single or the divorced, and those with high education and non-manual jobs compared with suicides by other methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study only used data for fatal self-poisoning by carbon monoxide (non-fatal cases not included) and had no information on the sources of carbon monoxide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carbon monoxide suicides substantially increased in South Korea over the relatively short study period and showed some distinct socio-demographic characteristics compared with suicides by other methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, 73, Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-705, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Rim
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, 73, Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-705, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Shil
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Khang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, 73, Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-705, South Korea. Electronic address: leewj@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Won Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000401:mortality*; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Coal briquette; Copycat; Epidemic; Intentional poisoning; Mortality