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Comparative Study
. 1997 Mar;87(3):434-7.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.87.3.434.

The health status of elderly persons in the last year of life: a comparison of deaths by suicide, injury, and natural causes

L Grabbe  1 , A Demi, M A Camann, L Potter
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The health status of elderly persons in the last year of life: a comparison of deaths by suicide, injury, and natural causes

L Grabbe et al. Am J Public Health. 1997 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: This study identified health status variables related to suicide by elderly persons and compared the health status of suicide decedents with natural death and injury decedents.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey.

Results: When other variables were controlled for, suicide decedents were significantly more likely than injury decedents to have a history of cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 51.94), moderate (OR = 29.37) or heavy (OR = 22.87) alcohol use, and mental or emotional disorder (OR = 10.91) and to be White (OR = 18.54) and male (OR = 9.12).

Conclusions: The findings indicate that a history of cancer should be considered as a risk for suicide in the elderly.

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References

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