Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2006 Oct;96(10):1794-8.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.082131.

Characteristics of black and white suicide decedents in Fulton County, Georgia, 1988-2002

Karon Abe  1 , Kristen J Mertz, Kenneth E Powell, Randy L Hanzlick
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Characteristics of black and white suicide decedents in Fulton County, Georgia, 1988-2002

Karon Abe et al. Am J Public Health. 2006 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: We compared the prevalence of risk factors for Black and White suicide decedents in Fulton County, Georgia, from 1988-2002.

Methods: We used data from the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office to compile information on suicides that occurred in Fulton County between 1988 and 2002. We used the chi2 test and logistic regression to identify associations between suicide risk factors and race.

Results: Black suicide decedents were more likely than White suicide decedents to be male (odds ratio [OR]=2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.38, 3.09), to be younger, (< or =24 y [OR = 4.74; 95% CI = 2.88, 7.81]; 25-34 y [OR = 2.79; 95% CI = 1.74, 4.47]; 35-44 y [OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.13, 3.07]), and to hurt others in a suicide (OR = 4.22; 95% CI = 1.60, 11.15) but less likely to report depression (OR=0.63; 95% CI=0.48, 0.83), to have a family history of suicide (OR=0.08; 95% CI=0.01, 0.61), or to leave a suicide note (OR=0.37; 95% CI=0.26, 0.52).

Conclusions: Future research should consider that Black suicide decedents are less likely to report depression than White suicide decedents. This suicide risk difference is important when developing effective suicide prevention programs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Age-adjusted suicide rates by race in Fulton County, Georgia, 1988–2002. Data sources. Fulton County Medical Examiner Files (number of suicides) and US Census Bureau (population).
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Age-adjusted suicide rates by race and age group in Fulton County, Georgia, 1988–2002. Data sources. Fulton County Medical Examiner Files (number of suicides) and US Census Bureau (population).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Republished in

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Goldsmith SK. Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2002. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309083214/html. Accessed October 14, 2005. - PubMed
    1. Arias E, Anderson RN, Kung HC, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD. Deaths: final data for 2001. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2003;52:1–115. - PubMed
    1. Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Anderson RN, Scott C. Deaths: final data for 2002. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2004; 53:1–115. - PubMed
    1. Moscicki EK. Epidemiology of suicidal behavior. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1995;25:22–35. - PubMed
    1. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Analysis, Epidemiology, and Health Promotion, Compressed Mortality File [CDC-Wonder on-line database]. Available at: http://wonder.cdc.gov. Accessed May 11, 2005.

Publication types