The Burden of Suicide in Rural Bangladesh: Magnitude and Risk Factors

Shumona Sharmin Salam, Olakunle Alonge, Md Irteja Islam, Dewan Md Emdadul Hoque, Shirin Wadhwaniya, Md Kamran Ul Baset, Saidur Rahman Mashreky and Shams El Arifeen
Additional contact information
Shumona Sharmin Salam: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Olakunle Alonge: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MA 21205, USA
Md Irteja Islam: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Dewan Md Emdadul Hoque: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Shirin Wadhwaniya: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MA 21205, USA
Md Kamran Ul Baset: Center for Injury Prevention and Research, House # B-162, Road # 23, New DOHS, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh
Saidur Rahman Mashreky: Center for Injury Prevention and Research, House # B-162, Road # 23, New DOHS, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh
Shams El Arifeen: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: The aim of the paper is to quantify the burden and risk factors of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors in rural Bangladesh. A census was carried out in seven sub-districts encompassing 1.16 million people. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the household level. Descriptive analyses were done to quantify the burden and Poisson regression was run to determine on risk factors. The estimated rates of fatal and non-fatal suicide were 3.29 and 9.86 per 100,000 person years (PY) observed, respectively. The risk of suicide was significantly higher by 6.31 times among 15–17 and 4.04 times among 18–24 olds compared to 25–64 years old. Married adolescents were 22 times more likely to commit suicide compared to never-married people. Compared to Chandpur/Comilla district, the risk of suicide was significantly higher in Narshingdi. Students had significantly lower risk of non-fatal suicidal behavior compared to skilled laborers. The risk of non-fatal suicidal behavior was lower in Sherpur compared to Chandpur/Comilla. Among adolescents, unskilled laborers were 16 times more likely to attempt suicide than students. The common methods for fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors were hanging and poisoning. Suicide is a major public health problem in Bangladesh that needs to be addressed with targeted interventions.

Keywords: suicide; attempted suicide; burden; risk factors; rural; Bangladesh; injury; violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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