Table 3. National Weighted Prevalence and Trends of Suicidality Among the Adolescent Population in South Korea, 2005-2021.
| Variable | Trends in suicidality, weighted % (95% CI) | Trend analysis | 2016-2019 [Reference] vs 2020-2021 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-2007 | 2008-2011 | 2012-2015 | 2016-2019 | 2020-2021 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend before pandemic, β (95% CI)a | P value | Trend after pandemic, β (95% CI)a | P value | Trend difference in β (95% CI) | wOR (95% CI)b | P value | |
| Overall | 23.0 (22.7 to 23.3) | 18.9 (18.7 to 19.2) | 14.7 (14.5 to 14.9) | 12.3 (12.1 to 12.5) | 11.6 (11.3 to 11.9) | 10.7 (10.3 to 11.1) | 12.5 (12.1 to 12.9) | −0.284 (−0.293 to −0.276) | <.001 | 0.044 (0.031 to 0.057) | <.001 | 0.328 (0.312 to 0.344) | 0.943 (0.915 to 0.972) | <.001 |
| Sex | ||||||||||||||
| Male | 18.5 (18.2 to 18.8) | 15.1 (14.8 to 15.3) | 11.7 (11.5 to 11.9) | 9.1 (8.9 to 9.3) | 8.7 (8.4 to 9.0) | 7.9 (7.5 to 8.4) | 9.4 (9.0 to 9.8) | −0.299 (−0.310 to −0.287) | <.001 | 0.046 (0.028 to 0.065) | <.001 | 0.345 (0.323 to 0.367) | 0.956 (0.918 to 0.996) | .03 |
| Female | 28.0 (27.6 to 28.4) | 23.3 (22.9 to 23.6) | 18.0 (17.7 to 18.2) | 15.7 (15.5 to 16.0) | 14.8 (14.4 to 15.2) | 13.7 (13.1 to 14.2) | 15.8 (15.3 to 16.4) | −0.281 (−0.292 to −0.271) | <.001 | 0.043 (0.028 to 0.059) | <.001 | 0.324 (0.305 to 0.343) | 0.943 (0.914 to 0.973) | <.001 |
| School grade | ||||||||||||||
| 7-9 (Middle school) | 22.9 (22.4 to 23.3) | 19.2 (18.8 to 19.5) | 15.1 (14.9 to 15.4) | 12.9 (12.6 to 13.1) | 11.7 (11.6 to 12.0) | 10.1 (9.6 to 10.6) | 13.2 (12.7 to 13.8) | −0.265 (−0.276 to −0.253) | <.001 | 0.076 (0.059 to 0.093) | <.001 | 0.341 (0.320 to 0.362) | 0.907 (0.884 to 0.931) | <.001 |
| 10-12 (High school) | 23.1 (22.7 to 23.6) | 18.7 (18.4 to 19.1) | 14.2 (14.0 to 14.5) | 11.8 (11.6 to 12.1) | 11.5 (11.1 to 11.9) | 11.3 (10.7 to 11.9) | 11.8 (11.2 to 12.3) | −0.300 (−0.312 to −0.287) | <.001 | 0.012 (−0.008 to 0.031) | .25 | 0.975 (0.936 to 1.015) | .21 | |
| Residence | ||||||||||||||
| Rural | 23.0 (22.5 to 23.4) | 19.0 (18.7 to 19.3) | 14.9 (14.7 to 15.2) | 12.3 (12.0 to 12.6) | 11.1 (10.7 to 11.5) | 10.3 (9.7 to 10.9) | 11.9 (11.3 to 12.5) | −0.274 (−0.286 to −0.262) | <.001 | 0.040 (0.019 to 0.061) | <.001 | 0.314 (0.290 to 0.338) | 0.902 (0.864 to 0.943) | <.001 |
| Urban | 23.0 (22.5 to 23.5) | 18.9 (18.5 to 19.2) | 14.5 (14.2 to 14.7) | 12.3 (12.1 to 12.6) | 12.0 (11.6 to 12.3) | 11.0 (10.5 to 11.5) | 13.0 (12.5 to 13.5) | −0.292 (−0.304 to −0.279) | <.001 | 0.047 (0.030 to 0.063) | <.001 | 0.339 (0.318 to 0.360) | 0.976 (0.941 to 1.011) | .17 |
| Smoking | ||||||||||||||
| No | 21.6 (21.2 to 21.9) | 17.7 (17.4 to 17.9) | 13.7 (13.6 to 13.9) | 11.8 (11.6 to 12.0) | 11.1 (10.8 to 11.4) | 10.2 (9.9 to 10.6) | 12.0 (11.6 to 12.4) | −0.275 (−0.285 to −0.266) | <.001 | 0.045 (0.031 to 0.058) | <.001 | 0.320 (0.303 to 0.337) | 0.941 (0.911 to 0.971) | <.001 |
| Yes | 33.1 (32.3 to 33.9) | 28.0 (27.3 to 28.6) | 23.8 (23.1 to 24.4) | 19.9 (19.1 to 20.7) | 22.4 (21.0 to 23.9) | 21.0 (19.2 to 22.9) | 23.8 (21.7 to 26.0) | −0.220 (−0.238 to −0.202) | <.001 | 0.041 (0.066 to 0.082) | .04 | 0.261 (0.241 to 0.281) | 1.126 (1.043 to 1.215) | .002 |
| Current alcohol use | ||||||||||||||
| No | 20.5 (20.2 to 20.8) | 17.0 (16.8 to 17.2) | 13.2 (13.0 to 13.4) | 11.2 (11.0 to 11.4) | 10.7 (10.4 to 10.9) | 9.7 (9.3 to 10.1) | 11.6 (11.2 to 12.0) | −0.267 (−0.277 to −0.258) | <.001 | 0.051 (0.037 to 0.064) | <.001 | 0.318 (0.301 to 0.335) | 0.955 (0.928 to 0.984) | .002 |
| Yes | 29.4 (28.9 to 30.0) | 26.0 (25.5 to 26.6) | 21.8 (21.3 to 22.3) | 18.2 (17.7 to 18.7) | 19.6 (18.8 to 20.5) | 19.2 (18.0 to 20.5) | 20.0 (18.8 to 21.3) | −0.227 (−0.241 to −0.212) | <.001 | 0.013 (−0.016 to 0.041) | .38 | 0.240 (0.208 to 0.272) | 1.077 (1.023 to 1.134) | .005 |
Abbreviation: wOR, weighted odds ratio.
a
Calculated using linear regression.
b
Derived using logistic regression; this model included the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey cycle (2016-2019 [reference] vs 2020-2021 [COVID-19 pandemic]) as a categorical variable.