Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Public Health

Short Term Regional and Age-Specific Disparities in Suicide Epidemiology in Poland

Natalia Olszańska, Przemysław Waszak, Paweł Zagożdżon — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: Despite declining trends in the first two decades of the 21st century, Poland remains a country with relatively high suicide rates. Developing national suicide prevention programmes starts from analysing trends in suicide rates and identifying high risk groups. The aim of this study was to examine suicide epidemiology trends in Poland with a specific focus on age groups and regional differences.
Method: This epidemiological analysis examined suicide statistics from 2017 to 2022. We calculated and analysed standardised suicide rates (SDR) across different age groups and regions in Poland using data acquired from Police Headquarters statistics. Percentage changes for the whole study period were determined. Official data on the Polish population was obtained from the Central Statistical Office.
Results: Throughout the analysed period, SDR calculated for all ages remained stable, declining by only 2% from 2017 to 2022. The highest SDR were noted in the 55-59 and 60-64 age groups (19,4 and 19,1 per 100 000, respectively, in 2022). Between age groups, notable disparities in trends of changes of SDR values were observed. The greatest increases of 21.6% and 19.6% were noted in the youngest (13-18) and eldest (85+) age groups, respectively. The largest regional increase by 14.4% concerned the Warmian-Masurian region, followed by the Opolskie region by 13.51%. Both regions have some of the lowest GDP values among Polish regions.
Conclusion: In Poland suicide rates have increased significantly among adolescents, the eldest and those living in economically disadvantaged regions. The obtained results highlight the need for implementing tailored preventative programmes.

Overview of Trauma Injuries Caused by Traffic Accidents in Baixada Santista, Brazil

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Background: In Brazil, traffic accidents have been on the rise. There is a very high social and economic impact in the country, either by the direct sequelae that are left by the trauma, or by the deaths caused by it.
Objective: This study aims to analyze the medical care associated with traffic accident-induced trauma in Baixada Santista, a Brazilian region comprising nine cities (six of which were included in this paper), along with the causes and consequences of such incidents for the population.
Methods: For data collection, DATA SUS BRASIL, which is a governmental website, was used. The impact that trauma causes on people and the main bodily injuries produced in them, the most affected groups and the cities of the Baixada Santista where the accidents occurred were collected. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics / relative frequencies.
Results: The analysis reveals that young men, particularly those who ride motorcycles, are most susceptible to traffic accidents. In relation to the cities of the Baixada Santista, we verified that the city of Santos emerges as the primary location for these accidents, primarily due to its substantial motorcycle fleet.
Conclusions: There is a pressing need to implement preventive measures targeting young male motorcyclists in this region. It is through awareness that it will be possible to act in the prevention of accidents and reinforce to the public power, not only the need for consciousness, but also the importance of qualifying the nurses and professionals involved in the treatment and rescue of victims.

Cancer Mortality Trends and Predictions for 2024 in Italy

Silvia Mignozzi, Claudia Santucci, Eva Negri, Carlo La Vecchia — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The prediction of numbers and trends for cancer mortality is useful for evaluating disease burden worldwide and reflects the impact of incidence, screening and advancement in early diagnosis and treatments for major cancer sites. Following our recent publication on the estimation of the number of cancer deaths and the corresponding mortality rates for all cancers and selected major cancer sites for the year 2024 in the European Union and the UK [1], here we provide corresponding figures for Italy.