1285 Distinctive variations in accident and suicide mortality rates among Japanese elderly in 2020

Takahashi, Mihoko; Kamei, Midori; Uemura, Makiko

BACKGROUND: In April 2020, the Japanese government requested that people stay home except when unavoidable for their livelihood, as a COVID-19 emergency measure. Especially, elderly people refrained from going out. We investigated mortality rates from external causes in 2020 among Japanese elderly people. METHODS: The monthly mortality rates from accidents (V01-X59), traffic accidents (V01-V99) and suicides (X60-X84) among elderly from 2015 to November 2020 were analyzed. Ordinary monthly expected values and reference ranges (RR: 95% range) were calculated by cause and sex and compared with the observed values. RESULTS: All accidents: Abnormal increases (beyond the RR) occurred in August for both sexes. Traffic accidents: Extreme decreases (below the RR) occurred in at least 3 months from March to October for each sex. Suicides: Extreme decreases occurred in at least 2 months from February to May for each sex. Abnormal increases occurred in November for males, and in September to November for females. CONCLUSIONS: Extreme decreases in traffic accident mortalities can be explained by people staying home. Abnormal increases in accident mortalities in summer might be explained by the heat. The increases might also be related to wearing face masks. Suicide results suggest that females are especially vulnerable to the social environment created by the preventive measures against COVID-19. KEY MESSAGES: COVID-19 measures might have affected the physical, mental, and social well-being of elderly people. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This study was supported by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation.