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Does Marital Status Predict the Odds of Suicidal Death in Taiwan? A Seven‐Year Population‐Based Study
Author(s) -
Yeh JuiYuan,
Xirasagar Sudha,
Liu TsaiChing,
Li ChongYi,
Lin HerngChing
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.2008.38.3.302
Subject(s) - marital status , demography , logistic regression , odds , ethnic group , odds ratio , population , poison control , medicine , suicide prevention , injury prevention , gerontology , medical emergency , sociology , anthropology
Using nationwide, 7‐year population‐based data for 1997–2003, we examined marital status to see if it predicted suicide among the ethnic Chinese population of Taiwan. Using cause of death data, with a case‐control design, two groups—total adult suicide deaths, n = 17,850, the study group, and adult deaths other than suicide, n = 71,400 (randomly selected from age, sex, and geographic region matched controls, four per suicide)—were studied. Using multiple logistic regression analysis including age‐marital status interaction, adjusted estimates show divorced status to be the most detrimental for suicide propensity, with males showing stronger effect size. Females never married, aged below 35 and 65‐plus, and widowed 65‐plus had lower suicide odds.