Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Population Statistics”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Values clarification as a technique for family planning education.

A Spanish language family planning education program utilizing the dynamics of values clarification has been designed and implemented in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The design of the program features three basic personality identification activities to help individuals identify other dimensions of adult life expression than child rearing. In addition, a series of simple and precise scenarios specifically related to family planning are presented. Each scenario is accompanied by a set of valuing questions that direct the learner to respond to the scenario. The activity booklet is entitled, "Clarification De Valores En La Planificacion Familar." The booklet requires the learner to make responses to the learning materials. Responses are then used as a basis for inferring that people are comprehending and above all personalizing knowledge about themselves and their culture and family planning. The program is cross cultural and can be used in Spanish speaking communities in the U.S. Its English language form can be used with English speaking target populations. Statistical analysis of seven critical categories of the program indicated that the shifts in attitudes from pre-to post-values, whether positive or negative (desirable or undesirable), were not significant at the .05 level of confidence. It should, however, be noted that small shifts in the rate of natural increase, or rate of natural decrease for population growth can have a dramatic effect on population growth when multiplied by time.

Contraception↗
PubMed2000

Absolute risk of breast cancer for Australian women with a family history.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present paper was to estimate the absolute risk of breast cancer over the remainder of a lifetime in Australian women with different categories of family history. METHODS: Age-specific breast cancer incidence rates were adjusted for screening effects, and rates in those with no family history were estimated using the attributable fraction (AF). Relative risks from a published meta-analysis were applied to obtain incidence rates for different categories of family history, and age-specific incidence was converted to cumulative risk of breast cancer. The risk estimates were based upon Australian population statistics and published relative risks. Breast cancer incidence was from New South Wales women for 1996. The AF was calculated using prevalence of a family history of breast cancer from data on Queensland women. The cumulative absolute risk of breast cancer was calculated from decade and mid-decade ages to age 79 years, not adjusted for competing causes of death. RESULTS: Lifetime risk is approximately 8.6% (1 in 12) for the general population and 7.8% (1 in 13) for those without a family history. Women with one relative affected have lifetime risks of 1 in 6-8 and those with two relatives affected have lifetime risks of 1 in 4-6. The cumulative residual lifetime risk decreases with advancing age; by age 60 years all groups with only one relative affected have well above a 90% probability of not developing breast cancer to age 79 years. CONCLUSIONS: These Australian risk statistics are useful for public information and in the clinical setting. Risks given here apply to women with average breast cancer risk from other risk factors.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neodymium:YAG laser surgery in the hospital district of southwestern Finland during the years 1987 to 1998.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate the annual incidence rates of Neodymium:YAG laser procedures in the treatment of eye diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this population-based retrospective study, we evaluated 6,040 patients treated with a Nd:YAG laser in the hospital district of southwestern Finland during the years 1987 to 1998. The corresponding annual incidence rates of different Nd:YAG laser procedures were calculated using the corrected population statistics of the hospital district. RESULTS: The annual incidence rates of all Nd:YAG laser procedures rose significantly (P < 0.0001) from 32.1 per 100,000 patients in 1987 to 169.0 per 100,000 people in 1998. A great majority of Nd:YAG patients were females with a higher median age than the males in the study (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The rise of the annual population-based incidence rates of cataract surgery with a 7% to 29% need of Nd:YAG laser capsulotomies explained the increase of all Nd:YAG laser procedures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Analysis of booster seat and seat belt use: how many Wisconsin childhood deaths and hospitalizations could have been prevented in 1998--2002?

BACKGROUND: Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) remain the leading cause of childhood death and injury in Wisconsin and throughout the nation. The objective of this study is to estimate the potential benefits of increased use of belt-positioning booster (BPB) seats for children ages 4-7, and increased seat belt use for children ages 8-18.5 years. The outcomes measured were the reduction in MVC-associated childhood deaths and hospitalizations as a result of increased use of BPB seats or seat belts. METHOD: Childhood MVC-associated deaths and hospitalizations from 1998 to 2002 were obtained from the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) data query system. Three separate age groups were analyzed: children ages 4-7, 8-15, and 16-18.5 years. Ages for the groups were designed to match current "best practice" recommendations for the use of BPB seats, published age-range specific baseline restraint use data, and age specific mortality/injury relative risk (RR) values as closely as possible for a pediatric population. Population attributable risk (PAR) was calculated to predict preventable deaths and injuries (hospitalizations) over the years studied. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2002, MVCs accounted for 440 childhood deaths and 2639 injuries requiring hospital admission. Using the calculated PAR population statistic for each age group studied, the predicted reduction in childhood MVC deaths and hospitalizations were calculated for various increases in restraint use above current baseline compliance. At the 100% use level, the model predicted 16 fewer deaths and 84 fewer hospitalizations for children 4-7 years old (BPB seat use); 45 fewer deaths and 206 fewer hospitalizations for children 8-15 years old (seat belt use); and 119 fewer deaths and 669 fewer hospitalizations for children 16-18.5 years old (seat belt use). The total potentially avoided deaths and hospitalizations across all age groups studied was 180 childhood deaths and 959 hospitalizations during this 5-year study period. CONCLUSION: Communities should devote resources to public education programs directed at increasing the use of belt-positioning booster seats for children 4-7 years old and seat belts for older children. Evidence-based child passenger safety laws should be improved and enforced in Wisconsin in an effort to support families in their attempts to safeguard their children. With a multi-component child passenger restraint safety campaign, unnecessary MVC-associated childhood deaths and injuries can be avoided in the future.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1997

Rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative risks of malignancy and of site-specific malignancies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, 862 patients with RA (96% white) were enrolled from 1966 to 1974 and were followed up for up to 35 years (mean 17.4 years) at the University of Saskatchewan Rheumatic Disease Unit. All diagnoses of cancer were cross-referenced with the Provincial Cancer Registry. Expected cancer incidence rates were determined based on province of Saskatchewan population statistics matched to each study patient for age, sex, and calendar year. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of the observed-to-expected cancer incidence and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were then calculated. RESULTS: A total of 136 cases of cancer were observed compared with 168 expected (SIR 0.80, P = 0.011 [95% CI 0.67-0.95]). The relative risk of colorectal malignancy was significantly reduced in the RA study population (SIR 0.52, P = 0.037 [95% CI 0.25-0.96]). A significant excess of leukemia was found (SIR 2.47, P = 0.026 [95% CI 1.12-4.69]), whereas the incidence rates for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and all other site-specific malignancies were not found to be significantly different from general population rates. CONCLUSION: In our cohort of RA patients, colorectal cancer was detected in only half the expected number of patients. This risk reduction may be related to long-term nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) use in RA, as has been suggested in several other studies of long-term NSAID use. An increased risk of leukemia was confirmed. This may be due to the persistent immune stimulation associated with RA itself, since other potential explanatory factors for increased leukemia were not apparent. Despite the excess of hemopoietic malignancy and despite treatment of RA with potentially oncogenic agents, the overall risk of malignancy was reduced in this RA cohort.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Molecular analyses of HLA-DRB1, -DPB1, and -DQB1 in Jing ethnic minority of Southwest China.

In the present study, DNA typing for HLA-DRB1, DQB1 and DPB1 was performed using polymerase chain reaction-sequencing based typing (PCR-SBT) method in 144 random selected Jing ethnic individuals inhabiting in South China. Allele frequencies and two-locus haplotypes (DRB1-DQB1) were statistically analyzed and 20 DPB1 alleles, 27 DRB1 and 20 DQB1 were detected. The most frequent DPB1 allele was DPB1*0501 with the percentage of 36.9% followed by DPB1*1301 (15.7%), DPB1*0401 (11.0%) and DPB1*020102 (9.8%). Among the 27 detected DRB1 alleles, DRB1*120201 (13.8%) was most commonly observed followed by DRB1*150201, *030101 and *090102 alleles with the frequencies of 9.4%, 9.1% and 8.3%, respectively. Among the 20 detected DQB1 alleles the most predominant one was DQB1*030101/0309 (19.9%). DQB1*050201 (19.1%), DQB1*0201/0202 (16.1%) and DQB1*050101 (12.3%) were also frequently observed in Jing population. Statistical analysis of two-locus haplotypes showed that DRB1*120201-DQB1*030101/DRB1*120201-DQB1*0309 (HF = 9.4%, D = 6.65x10(-2)) was most predominant followed by DRB1*030101-DQB1*0201/DRB1*030101-DQB1*0202 (HF = 8.1%, D = 6.66 x 10(-2)). The comparison of HLA class II allele and haplotype frequencies in Jing with those in other populations all over the world and a dendrogram based on the DRB1, DQB1 and DPB1 genes suggested that Jing ethnic population has an origin of Southeast Asia and is belonged to the southern group of Chinese populations.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

SCOP, Structural Classification of Proteins database: applications to evaluation of the effectiveness of sequence alignment methods and statistics of protein structural data.

The Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database provides a detailed and comprehensive description of the relationships of all known protein structures. The classification is on hierarchical levels: the first two levels, family and superfamily, describe near and far evolutionary relationships; the third, fold, describes geometrical relationships. The distinction between evolutionary relationships and those that arise from the physics and chemistry of proteins is a feature that is unique to this database, so far. The database can be used as a source of data to calibrate sequence search algorithms and for the generation of population statistics on protein structures. The database and its associated files are freely accessible from a number of WWW sites mirrored from URL http://scop. mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/scop/.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2005

Association analysis of interleukin 5 receptor alpha subunit (IL5RA) polymorphisms and asthma.

The alpha subunit of interleukin 5 receptor (IL5RA) on chromosome 3p26-p24 is known to regulate the development and function of eosinophils. In an effort to discover additional polymorphism(s) in genes whose variant(s) have been implicated in asthma, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms in IL5RA to evaluate the gene as a potential candidate for a host genetic study of asthma. By direct DNA sequencing in 24 individuals, we identified 22 sequence variants within exons and flanking regions including a 1.5-kb promoter region of IL5RA; 10 common polymorphic sites were selected for genotyping in our asthma cohort (n = 587). Two haplotype blocks were identified in a Korean population. Statistical analysis revealed that one promoter SNP, c.-5993A > G, and one ins/del polymorphism in intron 3, c.-480_482insdelGTT, showed significant association with the risk of asthma development. The genetic effects of c.-5993A>G and c.-480_482insdelGTT on asthma were more apparent among atopic subjects. Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in IL5RA might be among the genetic risk factors for asthma development, especially in atopic populations. IL5RA variant/haplotype information identified in this study will provide valuable information for strategies for the control of asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Epidemiology of endometrial carcinoma in the tyrol].

The incidence rates of endometrial cancer during 1955-1980 were calculated for Tyrol and its political areas. The tumor registry of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Innsbruck, and the population statistics of the Austrian Central Office of Statistics were the sources of our data. We found a rising incidence although the increase was different in the various areas of Tyrol and during the time of observation. The age specific incidence rates were maximal in the age group 70 years and older in the last decennium of the observation time. The rising incidence of endometrial cancer can be explained partly by the changing age related structure of the population and by the better diagnostic efficiency, partly it is due to a factor which is not known until today.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Rubella in Iceland.

Rubella has been a notifiable disease in Iceland since 1888. In this century rubella epidemics of increasing size have occurred at intervals of 5-10 years. The disease has spread throughout the country. About 75% of the patients were below 15 years of age at the time of the last two epidemics. Females account for 51-61 per cent of the reported cases. In this first study of the sero-epidemiology of rubella in Iceland, epidemiological data and blood samples were collected from 1464 women from 13 locations. The group of 1464 women was further divided into 12 age-groups (range 5-49 years), so as to make correlations with the last six epidemics. The immunity status was determined by measuring HI-antibodies in serum. 67.8 percent of the sera were positive (HI-titre greater than 20). 81.1 per cent of women of child-bearing age (16-42 ys.) were seropositive. Two of the age-groups have gone through only one epidemic '63-'64. Children who were then 1-3 ys. old have an immunity ratio of 46.1 per cent, this ratio being 73.3 per cent in the case of children who had attained school age. The immunity ratio is slightly lower among subjects from rural districts than among those from urban districts. Most of the women have caught the disease at the time of the first or second epidemic to occur in their lifetime. 11.6 per cent of persons giving a positive history were seronegative, 52.1 per cent of seropositive subjects gave a positive history. According to population statistics and the serological results it is estimated that appr. 1 out of 7 cases was reported in the epidemic '63-'64.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Enrollment of elderly patients in clinical trials for cancer drug registration: a 7-year experience by the US Food and Drug Administration.

PURPOSE: To analyze the age-related enrollment of cancer patients onto registration trials of new drugs or new indications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration from 1995 to 2002. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study involved retrospective analyses of demographic data of cancer patients enrolled onto registration trials. The data on 28,766 cancer patients from 55 registration trials were analyzed according to age distributions of > or = 65, > or = 70, and > or = 75 years. The rates of enrollment in each age group for each cancer were compared with the corresponding rates in the US cancer population. The age distributions of the US cancer population were derived from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute for the period 1995 to 1999 based on the 2000 US Census. RESULTS: The proportions of the overall patient populations aged > or = 65, > or = 70, and > or = 75 years were 36%, 20%, and 9% compared with 60%, 46%, and 31%, respectively, in the US cancer population. Statistically significant under-representation of the elderly (P < .001) was noted in registration trials for all cancer treatment except for breast cancer hormonal therapies. Patients aged > or = 70 years accounted for most of the under-representation. CONCLUSION: Elderly were under-represented in the registration trials of new cancer therapies. Various strategies may be needed to evaluate cancer therapies for the elderly in prospective clinical trials and to improve cancer care in the elderly population.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1997

Prostate cancer in Nigerians: facts and nonfacts.

PURPOSE: We established the actual incidence of prostate cancer in Nigeria, the largest concentration of indigenous black patients in the world, to ascertain whether the global ranking for Nigeria as a low risk for prostate cancer is accurate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied Nigerian men 45 years old or older with prostatic symptoms. Patients histologically positive for prostate cancer were analyzed for clinical features, tumor characteristics and survival. The hospital incidence, national prostate cancer risk, pool and death rate were calculated from the hospital admissions data and national population statistics. RESULTS: Mean age of patients with prostate cancer plus or minus standard deviation was 68.3 +/- 9.4 years. The hospital incidence was 127/100,000 cases. The national prostate cancer risk was 2% of patients, the pool was 110,000 and the death rate was 20,000 annually. The predominant clinical findings were those of advanced disease. Approximately 64% of the patients died within 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cancer incidence and the magnitude of the risk in our population may have been grossly underestimated. The clinical prostate cancer rate in Nigerians may be as great as that noted in black men in the United States, which may suggest a common enhancing genetic predisposition.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Hearing impairment among adults--extent of the problem and scientific evidence on the outcome of hearing aid rehabilitation.

Scientific surveys on current and estimated prevalence of hearing impairment (HI) in adult populations (> or = 18 years of age) in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and scientific reports on the outcome of hearing aid (HA) rehabilitation worldwide were reviewed. Only a few of the studies meet strict scientific criteria, and many locally clinically relevant studies cannot be generalized to larger populations. Population-based studies indicate an increase in prevalence of HI with age, but because of differences in study populations and available national population statistics, the studies do not allow reliable comparisons between countries or estimation of future prevalence of HI. Studies on HA prescription or outcomes do not provide uniform data in favour of non-linear amplification, but they do show some subject preference for the newer technology. No conclusions can be drawn regarding the degree of HI and the effects of amplification. The literature review alone gives only limited information regarding the extent of the problem of HI in adult populations in the target countries. Similarly, only a few studies on HA outcome meet strict scientific criteria and even fewer studies correlate rehabilitation outcome with the degree of HI, disability or handicap.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Vascular trauma at a military level II trauma center(1).

As members of an American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma-designated level II trauma center, we decided to review our experience with vascular trauma. In addition, we sought to characterize the vascular injuries presented and to compare our outcomes to the general trauma population.A review of all vascular trauma admissions from January 1997 through January 2000 was performed. The William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) trauma registry data base was searched for vascular injuries utilizing 3 different search criteria: organ system, operation/procedure, and ICD-9 codes. Injuries were then characterized by age, gender, site of injury, injury severity score (ISS), mechanism, and need for surgery. Mortality rates were computed for both vascular and nonvascular trauma populations. Statistical analysis of the data was determined by Student t test and z score.Between January 1997 and January 2000, there were 1398 patients admitted to the trauma service at WBAMC. Of these, 48 patients (3.4%) had vascular injuries. The mean ISS for all nonvascular traumas was 8.4 +/- 8.9. The mean ISS for those with vascular injuries was 17.9 +/- 12.6 (p < 0.001). Blunt trauma accounted for 90% of all nonvascular admissions. Penetrating trauma accounted for 10% of all nonvascular admissions. In the vascular trauma population, blunt trauma accounted for 56% and penetrating trauma accounted for 39%. Five percent of the vascular injuries identified were iatrogenic. Surgical intervention was required in 85.4% and 44.2% of the vascular and nonvascular trauma populations, respectively. The mortality rate for nonvascular admissions was 4.8% (65/1350). Those with vascular injuries had a mortality rate of 20.8% (10/48). For trauma patients requiring an operation, the mortality rate was 4.5% (27/597). For patients with vascular injuries who required an operation, the mortality rate was 25.7% (9/35) (p = 0.007).Vascular trauma represents a small percentage of all trauma admissions. These patients have a higher ISS on admission and more of them require surgical intervention. The operative and overall mortality rates are higher in patients with vascular injuries than in the general trauma population.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Characterization of model error in a simulation of fine particulate matter exposure distributions of the working age population in Helsinki, Finland.

Exposure models are needed for comparison of scenarios resulting from alternative policy options. The reliability of models used for such purposes should be quantified by comparing model outputs in a real situation with the corresponding observed exposures. Measurement errors affect the observations, but if the distribution of these errors for single observations is known, the bias caused for the population statistics can be corrected. The current paper does this and calculates model errors for a probabilistic simulation of 48-hr fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures. Direct and nested microenvironment-based models are compared. The direct model requires knowledge on the distribution of the indoor concentrations, whereas the nested model calculates indoor concentrations from ambient levels, using infiltration factors and indoor sources. The model error in the mean exposure level was <0.5 microg m(-3) for both models. Relative errors in the estimated population mean were +1% and -5% for the direct and nested models, respectively. Relative errors in the estimated SD were -9% and -23%, respectively. The magnitude of these errors and the errors calculated for population percentiles indicate that the model errors would not drive general conclusions derived from these models, supporting the use of the models as a tool for evaluation of potential exposure reductions in alternative policy scenarios.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heat tolerance, thermoregulation and ageing.

Older individuals, regardless of how one classifies 'old', are the most rapidly growing portion of the population. Statistics from heat waves and other morbidity-mortality data strongly suggest that older persons are at greater risk of developing life-threatening manifestations of heat stress such as heat stroke. Most laboratory studies have found that ageing is associated with decreased heat tolerance and alterations in thermoregulatory effector responses. What is not so clear is the role of ageing per se in this decreased heat tolerance (as opposed to some concomitant functional decline, e.g. decreasing VO2max, which accompanies ageing across a population). Studies have shown decrements in resting heat tolerance and responses to thermal transients in older adults. With exercise in warm environments, most research has focused on the sweating response and it appears that whether or not sweating rate declines in the elderly is dependent upon the environment studied. In hot dry environments, older persons (of both sexes) consistently secrete sweat at a lower rate than their younger counterparts. However, as humidity of the environment increases, this difference tends to disappear. A key issue which deserves further attention is that of hydration in the elderly, both in terms of body water content and compartmentalisation, and of skin water content. Finally, ageing is often accompanied by other conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular insufficiencies, long term therapeutic drug modalities) which further affect heat tolerance and thermoregulation.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The relationship between nonfasting and fasting lipid measurements in patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus receiving treatment with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Studies have confirmed a lack of patient and physician adherence to the revised National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines. These guidelines state that lipid panels should be obtained while the patient is in the fasting state. However, this restriction may limit the ordering of these tests and thus decrease the number of patients on drug therapy and the number treated until goal cholesterol levels are reached. Evidence shows that testing in the nonfasting state may not be clinically or significantly different from testing in the fasting state in identifying patients at risk for a future cardiovascular event. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between nonfasting and fasting lipid values in diabetic or nondiabetic patients that will permit the more ready identification of patients who require treatment to meet NCEP ATP III guidelines. A secondary goal was to determine whether diabetic patients who appear to have reached goal cholesterol levels in the fasting state meet those goals when the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are measured in the nonfasting state. METHODS: This observational study was conducted at Androscoggin Cardiology Associates (Auburn, Maine). Patients with hyperlipidemia receiving statin therapy whose doses had not changed for > or =2 months were enrolled. For all patients, nonfasting and fasting lipid panels (total cholesterol, triglycerides [TGs], and HDL-C) were calculated, whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)levels were measured directly. The direct LDL-C method was used to determine the variance of the calculated LDL-C from the actual value. RESULTS: One hundred consecutive hyperlipidemic patients were tested. Patients included 70 men and 30 women, with a mean (SD) age of 66.2 (12.0) years(range, 24-93 years). Eighteen patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Non-fasting TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels were able to identify almost all patients who did not meet ATP III guidelines in terms of cholesterol levels (95%, 100%, and 95%, respectively). No predictive differences were found, regardless of whether the patients had type 2 DM. For the total population, statistically significant differences were found between calculated nonfasting and fasting measurements for mean (SD)LDL-C levels (90.2 [24.8] mg/dL vs 99.7 [26.1] mg/dL, respectively; P < 0.001). The regression equation was fasting LDL-C = 22.7 + 0.854 x nonfasting LDL-C.A nonfasting LDL-C level >130 mg/dL predicted a fasting LDL-C level >100 mg/dL(95% CI, -12.79 to -6.24), and a nonfasting LDL-C level >130 mg/dL predicted cases of fasting LDL-C level >100 mg/dL (95% CI, -5.79 to -1.35). CONCLUSIONS: In this study population, nonfasting TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels successfully identified almost all patients who did not meet ATP III guidelines for cholesterol levels. No clinically significant difference was found in diabetic or nondiabetic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The effects on suicide rates of an educational intervention for front-line health professionals with suicidal patients (the STORM Project).

BACKGROUND: The opportunity to study district-wide educational interventions on suicide rates is rarely available. In 1997, the authors carried out a district-wide training programme for primary care, accident and emergency, and mental health workers (47% of eligible staff trained), and demonstrated improvements in skills, attitude and confidence among the recipients of the training. METHOD: Suicide rates (including definite suicides and undetermined deaths) and population statistics were collected for a district and region of England from official sources from 1993-2001. A before-and-after (1994-1996 and 1998-2000) training intervention analysis was conducted on suicide rates. RESULTS: The suicide rate in 1994-1996 was 8.8 per 100 000 before our educational intervention and unchanged at 8.6 per 100 000 in 1998-2000 after it (p = 0.783). CONCLUSION: Brief educational interventions to improve the assessment and management of suicide for front-line health professionals in contact with suicidal patients may not be sufficient to reduce the population suicide rate.

Depression↗