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Aim <p>Human Development Index (HDI) across Costa Rican cantons reveals substantial regional disparities. Local HDI correlates with various public health outcomes, including acute poisonings, but these relationships have not been previously examined for Costa Rica.</p> Subject and methods <p>Acute intoxication cases reported between 2018 and 2023 were analyzed at the cantonal level and classified as accidental cases, suicide attempts, or combined causes. Reports involving pesticides and pharmaceuticals were analyzed separately. Annual incidences of intoxications were correlated with their respective cantonal HDI.</p> Results <p>HDI was positively correlated with incidences of different types of intoxications throughout the analyzed period, including accidental and combined causes involving all toxic agents, as well as pharmaceuticals-related intoxications. In contrast, HDI was negatively correlated with incidences of every cause of pesticides-related intoxications among adults and combined ages throughout the entire period analyzed.&#xa0;Notably, HDI positively correlated with incidences of pharmaceuticals-related suicide attempts among adults and combined ages from the COVID-19 pandemic onward (2020–2023).</p> Conclusion <p>Findings suggest a <i>potential pandemic-related pattern</i>, reflected by emergent associations between HDI and incidences of suicide attempts with pharmaceuticals during the COVID-19 pandemic.&#xa0;A dichotomy between pharmaceuticals- and pesticides-related intoxications in their relationship with HDI is evident. Positive correlations of HDI with pharmaceutical-related intoxications may reflect greater access to medications and healthcare services in higher HDI areas, whereas negative correlations with pesticide-related intoxications may be associated with the availability of these toxic agents in rural, less economically developed regions, where pesticides are essential for agricultural work.</p>

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Correlations between human development index (HDI) and acute intoxications in Costa Rica show opposite trends for pharmaceuticals and pesticides

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月20日

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  • Navilla Apú,
  • Abigail Fallas-Mora,
  • Viviana Ramos-Rodríguez,
  • Ismael Segura-Ulate

摘要

Aim

Human Development Index (HDI) across Costa Rican cantons reveals substantial regional disparities. Local HDI correlates with various public health outcomes, including acute poisonings, but these relationships have not been previously examined for Costa Rica.

Subject and methods

Acute intoxication cases reported between 2018 and 2023 were analyzed at the cantonal level and classified as accidental cases, suicide attempts, or combined causes. Reports involving pesticides and pharmaceuticals were analyzed separately. Annual incidences of intoxications were correlated with their respective cantonal HDI.

Results

HDI was positively correlated with incidences of different types of intoxications throughout the analyzed period, including accidental and combined causes involving all toxic agents, as well as pharmaceuticals-related intoxications. In contrast, HDI was negatively correlated with incidences of every cause of pesticides-related intoxications among adults and combined ages throughout the entire period analyzed. Notably, HDI positively correlated with incidences of pharmaceuticals-related suicide attempts among adults and combined ages from the COVID-19 pandemic onward (2020–2023).

Conclusion

Findings suggest a potential pandemic-related pattern, reflected by emergent associations between HDI and incidences of suicide attempts with pharmaceuticals during the COVID-19 pandemic. A dichotomy between pharmaceuticals- and pesticides-related intoxications in their relationship with HDI is evident. Positive correlations of HDI with pharmaceutical-related intoxications may reflect greater access to medications and healthcare services in higher HDI areas, whereas negative correlations with pesticide-related intoxications may be associated with the availability of these toxic agents in rural, less economically developed regions, where pesticides are essential for agricultural work.