Objective: This study explores the association between suicide and month of birth in the elderly over a 12-year period in North Cheshire. There is no currently available literature about such association in older adults.
Design: Explorative retrospective study.
Materials and Methods: Data was extracted from the coroner’s inquests files and records of the Public Health Department in North Cheshire between 1989 and 2000. Month of birth of all deceased who died of natural causes and reported during a 2-year period was obtained from the Public Health Department in North Cheshire for comparison.
Results: A total of 152 incidents of suicide in North Cheshire during the 12-year period involving persons aged 55 and over were examined. Significant differences were found in suicide compared to death due to natural causes with an increase of suicide in those born in the month of August (X2 20 df11 P<.05). The distribution of suicide for men appeared to be significantly higher in those born in August, September, and January than to what would be expected by chance (X2 28 df11 P<.005) and also compared to women (P>.05). Those who died by violent means were more likely to have been born in the summer, particularly women who killed themselves by hanging, none of whom was born in the first 4 months of the year. However, difference between the observed and expected occurrence of suicide incidents failed to reach statistical significance.
Conclusion: The results, though inconclusive, are interesting particularly in view of the recent reports of months of birth variations in the values of 5HIAA and also reports of low CSF levels of 5-HIAA in persons with violent suicidal behavior. The conflicting reports from different countries, within the Northern Hemisphere, indicate the need for future studies with adequate design, sample size and acceptable statistical power. However, this is the first study in this field that has dealt specifically with elderly suicide and may provide a baseline for future studies.
| Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| male | 12.8 | 4.3 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 5.3 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 18.1 | 13.8 | 6.4 | 5.3 | 7.4 |
| female | 6.7 | 5 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 13.3 | 5 | 18.3 | 13.3 | 1.7 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 8.3 |
| Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| male | 11.3 | 4.8 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 6.5 | 12.9 | 1.6 | 19.4 | 11.3 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 8.1 |
| female | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 22.2 | 8.3 | 19.4 | 8.33 | 11.1 | 8.3 | 2.8 |
| Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| male | 16.6 | 3.1 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 3.1 | 15.6 | 18.8 | 6.3 | 12.5 | 6.3 | ||
| female | 8.3 | 12.5 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 16.7 | 20.8 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 16.7 |
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