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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the spatial patterns of suicide by jumping in Taiwan and to examine the effects of the availability of high-rise buildings on suicide completers' propensity to jump from heights.
METHODS: Data on all completed suicides during the period 1994-2007 (n=50,705) were derived from the cause of death database provided by the Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taiwan. The proportion of high-rise building at the township-level (n=358) came from the 2000 census of population and housing. Exploratory spatial data analysis methods were used to investigate the spatial patterns of proportions of suicide by jumping and high-rise buildings. Multilevel logistic regressions were employed to assess the association between the township-level availability of high-rise buildings and the individual's choice of suicide methods.
RESULTS: The proportion of suicide by jumping showed a significant spatial dependence (Moran's 1=0.551, p<0.001). Hot spots were detected in Keelung-Taipei-Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung metropolitan areas. Such a spatial pattern coincided with the proportion of high-rise buildings.
RESULTS from multilevel models indicated that 10% of the variance in the choice of suicide methods was between townships. After controlling for gender, age, marital status, occupational status, season, period, social fragmentation, economic deprivation, and level of urbanization, we found that the deceased who lived in a township with a greater availability of tall buildings had a significantly higher likelihood of committing suicide by jumping.
CONCLUSIONS: Since there are significant township-level differences in the proportions of suicide by jumping, community suicide intervention strategies should take these spatial variations into account. Programs to prevent suicide by jumping should be targeted to areas with more high-rise buildings.
Language: zh |