title: Occupational differences in suicide mortality among Japanese men of working age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although suicide rates among Japanese men of working-age have steadily increased over the past two decades, the distribution by occupation and industry is not uniform. Little is known regarding occupation and industry differences in relation to suicide risk. This study examined differences in suicide risk among Japanese men of working age (25-59 years) during 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed the Japanese government's 2010 national survey data regarding occupation and industry-specific death rates. Poisson regression models were formulated for each occupation and industry to estimate the relative risk of death by suicide. Potential interactions between age and occupation/industry were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide incidence was highest among workers in the fields of agriculture and mining. When compared with referent groups (sales for occupation and wholesale and retail for industry), the age-adjusted relative risk of suicide was highest for administrative and managerial workers (Incident Relative Risk [IRR]: 3.91, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI]: 3.16-4.85), service industries (IRR: 3.63, 95%CI: 2.93-4.51) and agriculture (IRR: 3.53, 95%CI: 2.84-4.38) occupations, and for mining (IRR: 23.9, 95%CI: 19.4-29.4), fisheries (IRR: 6.26, 95%CI: 5.03-7.80), electricity and gas (IRR: 5.86, 95%CI: 4.71-7.30) and agricultural industries (IRR: 4.73, 95%CI: 3.78-5.91).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bias resulting from misclassification of deceased individuals' occupation or industry was a potential limitation of this study. Furthermore, detailed information regarding occupation-related factors, such as employment status, had not been recorded in the initial survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings help elucidate Japanese occupations and industries with a higher suicide risk, most likely due to economic changes or workplace factors relating to stress and depression.
authors.affiliation: Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: kwada-sgy@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Kitasato University School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prieto-Merino
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, Australia.
authors.forename: Derek R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007221:Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Industry; Japan; Mortality; Occupation; Suicide