Suicide Overall and Suicide by Pesticide Rates among South Korean Workers: A 15-Year Population-Based Study

Kim, Yangwoo; Min, Jaehong; Lee, Soo-Jin

doi:10.3390/ijerph16234866

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…31 Possible explanations for higher suicide rates in this sector include occupationally induced stress and the accessibility of suicidal methods in the agricultural industries and farming-related occupations. 31,33 In this study, suicide mortality rate ratios among farmers and farm managers were notably elevated but not significantly higher in urban areas. Also, workers in the agriculture, fishery, and forestry industries in rural areas had substantially elevated suicide rates compared with urban workers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

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Suicide mortality rates in farm‐related occupations and the agriculture industry in the United States

Adeyemi

Laditka

et al. 2021

American J Industrial Med

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Background: Studies suggest that agricultural workers and rural residents may have an elevated suicide risk. However, suicide is relatively rare, and rural and farming populations have significantly declined, limiting their representation in national surveys. Many studies have inadequate samples for meaningful analysis.Methods: We pooled 29 years of data from the Mortality-Linked National Health Interview Survey, 1986-2014, then measured suicide mortality in groups including agriculture workers, and variation in suicide across rural and urban areas. Exposure variables indicated whether participants worked in a farm-related occupation or industry, or lived in a rural area. We used survey-weighted Poisson regression to estimate suicide mortality rates and rate ratios.Results: Age-adjusted suicide mortality rate per 100,000 was: 22.3 for farmers and farm managers; 21.6 for farmworkers; 28.7 in farming, forestry, and fishing; 15.3 across all other occupations; 16.1 among rural residents. Among farmworkers, age-adjusted rates were 28.3 in rural areas, 17.1 in urban areas (not significantly different). The age-adjusted suicide mortality rate ratio (RR) comparing workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries to those in all other industries was 1.34 (95% confidence interval, [CI]: 1.05-1.72) (not statistically significant after further adjustment for demographic characteristics). Age-adjusted results were consistent with a higher suicide risk for workers in forestry and fishing than in all other occupations (RR: 1.88, 95% CI: 0.79-4.46). Conclusion:Workers in agriculture, forestry, and fishing may have an elevated suicide risk. National surveys should consider oversampling of rural residents, who have increased morbidity and mortality risks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

“…Elevated suicide mortality rates were also reported among workers in the agriculture, fishery, and forestry industries in Japan, South Korea, and Europe. [31][32][33] A recent meta-analysis that pooled data from different countries…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide mortality rates in farm‐related occupations and the agriculture industry in the United States

Adeyemi

Laditka

et al. 2021

American J Industrial Med

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“…Therefore, causality cannot be established. In addition, the economic crisis in 2008 has led to major changes related to occupation [47,78]. For that reason, for all studies dealing with employment and occupation, the different data collection periods must be considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two studies examined occupation as a potential risk factor for completed suicides [39,47]. Both studies included participants at the working age from 15 to 64 years [47] or 20 to 64 years respectively [39].…”

Section: Occupationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Suicidal Behaviors in South Korea: A Systematic Review On The Current State of Evidence

Raschke

Mohsenpour

Aschentrup

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background The economic and human costs of suicide to individuals, families, communities, and society make suicide a major public health problem around the world. Suicide rates in South Korea are among the highest in the world. This paper is the first systematic review investigating socioeconomic risk factors for suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideation, attempted suicides, and completed suicides) in South Korea. Methods We performed a systematic review in Medline and Web of Science. Empirical studies and peer-reviewed articles on the association between individual socioeconomic factors and suicidal behaviors have been included. A total of 53 studies were included in a descriptive synthesis. Results Overall, 35 studies focused on the association between individual socioeconomic factors and suicidal ideation, 16 were related to suicide attempts, while 10 addressed completed suicides. Low income, unemployment, and financial difficulties were identified as risk factors for all suicidal behaviors. Working in precarious conditions, long working hours, self-employment, changes in employment status, shift work/night-time work, and occupational stress were associated with an increased risk for suicidal ideation. Low educational attainment appears to increase the risk for suicide attempts and completed suicide, but the significance of educational attainment on the reporting of suicidal ideation could not be verified. The primary studies were unable to ascertain whether the place of residence impacts on suicidal behaviors. Conclusions The results highlight the relevance of socioeconomic factors for suicidal behaviors in South Korea. Governmental social spending must be increased and redirected more efficiently so that the economically most vulnerable groups are financially protected and income inequality does not widen. Furthermore, comprehensive prevention strategies at the community level are needed. Future research needs to focus on identifying vulnerable groups for whom the effects of low socioeconomic status may have particularly serious consequences with regard to suicidal behaviors.

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“…Pesticides cause various kinds of health effects including chronic diseases, such as cancer and nervous system diseases [ 50 ]. As a result, agricultural workers have a higher mortality rate than other occupational groups, and their suicide rates are also higher by self-poisoning with pesticides [ 51 ]. The first report in this study disclosed that the relationship between exposure to pesticides and PD was that the active metabolite of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine affected the human nervous system [ 52 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parkinson's disease in a worker exposed to insecticides at a greenhouse

Kim

Sung

et al. 2021

Ann Occup Environ Med

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Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a rare, neurodegenerative disease with various occupational and environmental risk factors. Exposure to specific pesticides contributes significantly to the incidence of PD. However, it is difficult to measure the level of pesticide exposure in workers. This study presents the first case recognized the work-relatedness between PD and pesticide exposure. Case presentation: A 68-year-old male was diagnosed with PD after working with pesticides at a tomato greenhouse for 12 years and 5 months. From the results of a field study, it was reasonable to assume that the patient had been exposed to a significant level of various insecticides. In the present report, we described the first accepted case of work-relatedness between PD and exposure to pesticides. The evaluation was conducted using the following steps: we ruled out other possible risk factors including additional occupational history and personal risk factors, we assessed the work environment, surveyed possible exposures, found proper epidemiological evidence, and calculated the probability of causation. The workrelatedness was determined through the review of epidemiological evidence and estimation of exposure situation and level, and biological plausibility. We also decided work-relatedness based on the exposure of PD related pesticides with identified biologically plausible and the presumption that the exposure level would be high due to the working process. Conclusions: In this case, the field study and epidemiological results supported the workrelatedness of PD and exposure to pesticides. Moreover, the results of previous studies have confirmed a causal relationship between exposure to pesticides and PD.

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Suicide Overall and Suicide by Pesticide Rates among South Korean Workers: A 15-Year Population-Based Study

Cited by 6 publications

References 35 publications

Suicide mortality rates in farm‐related occupations and the agriculture industry in the United States

Suicide mortality rates in farm‐related occupations and the agriculture industry in the United States

Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Suicidal Behaviors in South Korea: A Systematic Review On The Current State of Evidence

Parkinson's disease in a worker exposed to insecticides at a greenhouse

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