Citation

Kassem AM, Carter KK, Johnson CJ, Hahn CG. Prev. Chronic Dis. 2019; 16: E37.

Affiliation

Division of Public Health, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Boise, Idaho.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, (in public domain), Publisher U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

10.5888/pcd16.180429

PMID

30925141

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In 2015, Idaho had the fifth highest suicide rate in the United States. Little is known about the characteristics of areas in Idaho with high suicide rates. To aid suicide prevention efforts in the state, we sought to identify and characterize spatial clusters of suicide.

METHODS: We obtained population data from the 2010 US Census and the 2010-2014 American Community Survey, analyzed data on suicides from death certificates, and used a discrete Poisson model in SaTScan to identify spatial clusters of suicide. We used logistic regression to examine associations between suicide clustering and population characteristics.

RESULTS: We found 2 clusters of suicide during 2010-2014 that accounted for 70 (4.7%) of 1,501 suicides in Idaho. Areas within clusters were positively associated with the following population characteristics: median age ≤31.1 years versus >31.1 years (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-5.6), >53% female vs ≤53% female (aOR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.8; P =.01), >1% American Indian/Alaska Native vs ≤1% American Indian/Alaska Native (aOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4-6.3), and >30% never married vs ≤30% never married (aOR = 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5-8.0; P =.004).

CONCLUSION: Idaho suicide prevention programs should consider using results to target prevention efforts to communities with disproportionately high suicide rates.

Language: en