title: Trends and risk factors of the epidemic of charcoal burning suicide in a recent decade among Korean people.
abstract: The aims of this study were to analyze annual trends of charcoal burning (CB) suicide, 2000 to 2011, and to examine the risk factors of CB suicide in Korea. Data on suicides (n=138,938) were obtained from the Statistics Korea. The proportion of CB suicides among all suicide deaths reported was 0.7% (84 cases) in 2007, and since 2008 it has rapidly increased to 7.9% (1,251 cases) in 2011. Of significant risk factors of CB suicide, the presence of the media report of Ahn's suicide was the greatest risk factor (adjusted odds ratio, 11.69; 95% CI, 10.30-13.23) of the initial phase of the continuing CB suicides since 2008. Korean Government should urgently consider effective measures against CB suicide, including enforced media regulations on reporting such suicides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Nam-Ju
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9333-738X
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon-Pyo
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6375-1213
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Suicide, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Criminology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Steven John
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stack
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Weon-Young
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3062-3973
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002606:Charcoal; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002606:Charcoal
keywords: Charcoal Burning; Mass Media; Suicide