Introduction:

Suicide is a serious social and public health problem that affects the population in most countries in the world. Differences in suicide rates in rural and urban areas have been previously described.

Objective:

To study the trend of mortality rates by suicide in Colombia, in rural and urban areas by gender, age group, and suicide method during the years 1979-2014.

Materials and methods:

We conducted a temporal trend ecologic study using death certificates from the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, DANE. Specific and adjusted by age and gender mortality rates were calculated. We estimated negative binomial and inflection point regression models to study the trends in mortality rates stratified by gender, age group, and suicide method.

Results:

A total of 56,448 suicides was reported in Colombia between 1979 and 2014. The risk of suicide was higher in urban areas for men, individuals between 25 and 44 years, and 65 and over; and for those who used hanging as the suicide method. Also, the risk of suicide was higher in the rural area for men between 45 and 64 years old, and those who used firearms, sharp weapons, hanging, and others as suicide methods. The trend of suicide rates in urban areas showed its maximum peak in 1999 and in the rural ones in 2000. Then, in the two areas, there was a gradual decrease. Hanging in both areas presented a tendency to rise in men.

Conclusions:

Suicide has shown a tendency toward reduction after the year 2000, with differences between urban and rural areas.

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