|
Abstract
|
INTRODUCTION: Several studies have demonstrated a seasonal influence in the incidence of suicides with an increase in the cases towards the end of spring and beginning of summer, and a decrease in winter.
OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the existence of said seasonal influence in a zone with marked differences in the photoperiod between summer and winter.
METHODology: The number of suicides between January 1994 and December 2004, in the provinces of Llanquihue, Chiloe and Palena were obtained, and then the seasonal and monthly distribution was examined from the total, also related to gender and age group. The results were analyzed by 2 test.
RESULTS: Of a total of 590 suicides, 523 (88.7 percent) were men and 67 (11.3 percent) were women. The month of December and the summer season held the most concentration of suicides, while the month of July and the winter season the least number of suicides. The differences were significant for the total number of cases and for the masculine subgroup.
CONCLUSIONS: The existence of the seasonal influence is confirmed in the distribution of suicides in this region, which supports the idea that this seasonal influence is a function of the photoperiod.
Language: es |