Abstract
There have been several studies supporting a possible relationship between high suicide rate and high altitude. However socioeconomic status may confound this association because low socioeconomic status, which is known to be related to a high suicide rate, is also associated with living at high altitude. This study aims to explore whether the relationship between high altitude and high suicide rate remains after adjusting for socioeconomic status in South Korea. We collected demographic data of completed suicides, the mean altitude of the district where each suicide took place, and the mean income of each district. We analyzed the data using regression analysis before and after adjustment for mean income. We found that there is a positive correlation between altitude and suicide rate, even after adjustment for mean income. Thus, altitude appears to be an independent risk factor for suicide.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 492-494 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Psychiatry Investigation |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Altitude
- Socioeconomic status
- South Korea
- Suicide rate
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry