Open AccessAlcohol‐related suicide across Australia: a geospatial analysis
Author(s) -
Hurzeler Tristan,
Buckley Nicholas A.,
Noghrehchi Firouzeh,
Malouf Peter,
Page Andrew,
Schumann Jennifer L.,
Chitty Kate M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/1753-6405.13122
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , geospatial analysis , environmental health , medicine , poison control , injury prevention , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , alcohol consumption , cluster (spacecraft) , demography , geography , alcohol , population , cartography , biochemistry , chemistry , pathology , sociology , computer science , programming language
Background : The acute effects of alcohol consumption are a major risk factor for suicide. Positive blood alcohol concentrations are present in almost one‐third of all suicides at time of death. These suicides are defined as alcohol‐related suicides. This cross‐sectional study examines the geospatial distribution/clustering of high proportions of alcohol‐related suicides and reports on socioeconomic and demographic risk factors. Methods : National Coronial Information System (NCIS) data were used to calculate proportions of suicides with alcohol present at the time of death for each level 3 statistical areas (SA3) in Australia. A density analysis and hotspot cluster analysis were used to visualise and establish statistically significant clustering of areas with higher (hotspots) and lower (coldspots) proportions. Subsequently, socioeconomic and demographic risk factors for alcohol use and suicide were reported on for hot and cold spots. Results : Significant clustering of areas with higher proportions of alcohol‐related suicide occurred in northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, as well as inland New South Wales and inland Queensland. Clustering of SA3s with significantly lower proportions occurred in major city and inner regional Sydney and Melbourne. Conclusion and implications for public health : Results from this study identify areas in which prevention strategies should target alcohol use and can be used to inform prevention strategy design. Additionally, hotspots and coldspots identified in this study can be used for further analysis to better understand contextual risk factors for alcohol‐related suicide.