Citation

Caetano R, Kaplan MS, Kerr W, McFarland BH, Giesbrecht N, Kaplan Z. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/acer.14251

PMID

31782530

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Among American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AI/ANs), suicides are disproportionately high among those younger than 40 years of age. This paper examines suicide and alcohol intoxication (post-mortem BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl) by age among Whites and AI/ANs to better understand the reasons for the high rate of suicide among AI/ANs for those younger than 40.

METHODS: Data come from the restricted 2003-2016 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), with post-mortem information on 79,150 White and AI/AN suicide decedents of both genders who had a BAC test in 32 states of the U.S.

RESULTS: Among Whites, 39.3% of decedents legally intoxicated are younger than 40 years of age while among AI/ANs the proportion is 72.9% (p<.001). Multivariable logistic regression with data divided by age show that in the 18-39 age group AI/ANs are about 2 times more likely than Whites to have a postmortem BAC≥.08. Veteran status compared to non-veteran, and history of alcohol problems prior to suicide were also associated with BAC≥.08. Suicide methods other than by firearm, and a report of the presence of 2 or more suicide precipitating circumstances were protective against BAC≥.08.

RESULTS for the age group 40 years of age and older mirror those for the younger group with one exception: Race/ethnicity was not associated with BAC level.

CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of suicide decedents with a BAC≥.08 is higher among AI/ANs than Whites, especially among those 18-39 years of age. However, acute alcohol intoxication does not fully explain differences in suicide age structure between AI/ANs and Whites.

Copyright © 2019 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Language: en

Keywords

NVDRS; age; alcohol; race/ethnicity; suicide