TY - JOUR
T1 - Geography of suicide in Taiwan
T2 - Spatial patterning and socioeconomic correlates
AU - Chang, Shu Sen
AU - Sterne, Jonathan A.C.
AU - Wheeler, Benedict W.
AU - Lu, Tsung Hsueh
AU - Lin, Jin Jia
AU - Gunnell, David
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding : S-SC's Ph.D. study was supported by the Taiwanese government (the Government Funds of the Ministry of Education), the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Overseas Research Scholarship) and University of Bristol (University of Bristol Postgraduate Research Scholarship). S-SC's fellowship is funded by the National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC-98-2917-I-564-162).
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - In industrialised Western nations suicide rates tend to be high in inner city areas and socially fragmented neighbourhoods. Few studies have investigated spatial variations in suicide in non-Western settings. We estimated smoothed standardised mortality ratios (1999-2007) for suicide for each of the 358 Taiwanese districts (median population aged 15+: 27,000) and investigated their associations with area characteristics using Bayesian hierarchical models. The geographic distribution of suicide was similar in men and women; young people showed the greatest spatial variation in rates. Rates were highest in East Taiwan, a mostly mountainous rural area. There was no evidence of above average rates in large cities. Spatial patterns of method-specific suicide rates varied markedly, with solids/liquids poisonings showing the greatest geographic variation and hangings the least. Factors most strongly associated with area suicide rates were median household income, population density and lone-parent households. Spatial patterning of suicide in Taiwan differed from that observed in Western nations. Suicide prevention strategies should take into account unique local patterns.
AB - In industrialised Western nations suicide rates tend to be high in inner city areas and socially fragmented neighbourhoods. Few studies have investigated spatial variations in suicide in non-Western settings. We estimated smoothed standardised mortality ratios (1999-2007) for suicide for each of the 358 Taiwanese districts (median population aged 15+: 27,000) and investigated their associations with area characteristics using Bayesian hierarchical models. The geographic distribution of suicide was similar in men and women; young people showed the greatest spatial variation in rates. Rates were highest in East Taiwan, a mostly mountainous rural area. There was no evidence of above average rates in large cities. Spatial patterns of method-specific suicide rates varied markedly, with solids/liquids poisonings showing the greatest geographic variation and hangings the least. Factors most strongly associated with area suicide rates were median household income, population density and lone-parent households. Spatial patterning of suicide in Taiwan differed from that observed in Western nations. Suicide prevention strategies should take into account unique local patterns.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2011.01.003
DO - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2011.01.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 21292534
AN - SCOPUS:79952488970
VL - 17
SP - 641
EP - 650
JO - Health and Place
JF - Health and Place
SN - 1353-8292
IS - 2
ER -
