Gender differences in the unnatural manner and causes of elderly death

Abstract

Nowadays, human lifespan has increased due to advancements in medicine and public health. Thailand achieved the status of a complete-aged society in 2022. However, the elderly still confronts with physical deterioration, and unnatural deaths among them are on the rise. If these incidents are prevented, the elderly can experience a better quality of life. A retrospective study was conducted on 452 individuals aged over 60 who died unnaturally, encompassing accidents, suicides, and homicides. The subjects were divided into 335 males and 117 females, and autopsies were performed at the forensic medicine department of Nakornping Hospital from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2021. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test. The manner of death did not differ between sexes. The most common causes of death were accidents, suicides and homicides, respectively. There were statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in various aspects, including the deceased’s age group. In males, it was more common to die in the middle old age group (70-79 years), while in females, it was more common to die in the very old age group, that is, 80 years of age and above. Elderly males tended to die in road traffic accidents at a slightly higher average age than females. The average age of women who died in falls was discovered to be older than that of men. The top 5 causes of death for both men and women were the same—traffic accidents, falls, poisoning, hanging, and burns, respectively. However, the only cause of death that differed between males and females was traffic accidents, particularly riding a motorbike, where elderly males were more likely to experience unnatural death, and the incidence was higher in males than females. Conversely, females were more likely to die as passengers in traffic accidents. Most female deaths from traffic accidents usually occurred during transport to the hospital or at the emergency room, which was higher than in males. Meanwhile, traffic accidents on Wednesdays and at night occurred significantly less frequently in elderly women than in men.