Table 1.
Crude and adjusted suicide mortality odds ratios (MOR) of socio-demographic factors associated with suicide mortality in adults, 15 years and older (n = 8573).
| Characteristic | n (%) | Crude MOR a | 95% CI | Adjusted MOR a | 95% CI | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | ||||||
| 1997–2001 | 1405 (16.4) | Reference | Reference | |||
| 2002–2006 | 2318 (27.1) | 1.12 | 1.05–1.20 | 1.03 | 0.93–1.14 | 0.571 |
| 2007–2011 | 2142 (24.9) | 1.03 | 0.96–1.10 | 1.07 | 0.96–1.18 | 0.215 |
| 2012–2016 | 2708 (31.6) | 1.57 | 1.47–1.67 | 1.67 | 1.15–1.85 | <0.001 |
| Sex | ||||||
| Female | 1855 (21.9) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Male | 6699 (78.1) | 3.33 | 3.16–3.50 | 2.68 | 2.49–2.89 | <0.001 |
| Broad age-group | ||||||
| 15–29 | 3656 (42.7) | 17.57 | 15.99–19.28 | 8.42 | 7.31–9.70 | <0.001 |
| 30–44 | 2581 (30.1) | 6.50 | 5.90–7.16 | 3.79 | 3.29–4.33 | <0.001 |
| 45–59 | 1301 (15.2) | 4.02 | 3.62–4.45 | 2.19 | 1.91–2.53 | <0.001 |
| 60–74 | 536 (6.3) | 1.75 | 1.54–1.98 | 0.84 | 0.69–1.01 | 0.065 |
| 75 and over | 499 (5.82) | Reference | ||||
| Population group | ||||||
| Black African | 5594 (65.3) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Indian or Asian | 156 (1.8) | 1.24 | 1.15–1.35 | 1.36 | 1.13–1.64 | 0.001 |
| White | 763 (8.9) | 1.25 | 1.07–1.47 | 2.52 | 1.13–1.64 | <0.001 |
| Coloured | 958 (11.2) | 2.12 | 1.99–2.27 | 1.64 | 1.45–1.84 | <0.001 |
| Unspecified or unknown | 1102 (12.8) | 0.48 | 0.44–0.51 | 0.66 | 0.59–0.73 | <0.001 |
| Marital status | ||||||
| Widowed/divorced | 531 (6.2) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Never married | 5739 (67.2) | 2.88 | 2.64–3.16 | 1.02 | 0.90–1.17 | 0.670 |
| Married | 1610 (18.8) | 1.77 | 1.60–1.96 | 1.13 | 0.99–1.29 | 0.065 |
| Educational attainment | ||||||
| None/Grade R | 420 (8.7) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Primary education | 1221 (25.1) | 1.83 | 1.63–2.04 | 1.13 | 1.02–1.28 | 0.024 |
| Secondary | 2897 (59.7) | 3.23 | 2.91–3.58 | 1.49 | 1.34–1.67 | <0.001 |
| Tertiary | 313 (6.5) | 3.46 | 2.99–4.00 | 1.63 | 1.39–1.91 | <0.001 |
| Smoking status of deceased | ||||||
| No | 2150 (25.1) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Yes | 1966 (22.9) | 2.05 | 1.93–2.19 | 1.24 | 1.15–1.32 | <0.001 |
| Unknown/unspecified | 4457(51.9) | 1.02 | 0.97–1.07 | 1.37 | 0.73–2.55 | 0.321 |
| Province of death | ||||||
| Free State | 489 (5.7) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Kwa-Zulu Natal | 2690 (31.5) | 1.99 | 1.81–2.19 | 1.98 | 1.77–2.21 | <0.001 |
| Western Cape | 1094 (12.8) | 2.02 | 1.82–2.25 | 1.10 | 0.93–1.31 | 0.252 |
| Eastern Cape | 972 (11.4) | 1.09 | 0.98–1.22 | 1.00 | 0.88–1.16 | 0.899 |
| Northern Cape | 932 (10.9) | 5.70 | 5.11–6.36 | 5.15 | 4.48–5.91 | <0.001 |
| Mpumalanga | 683 (8.0) | 1.51 | 1.34–1.69 | 1.00 | 0.86–1.16 | 0.987 |
| North West | 612 (7.2) | 1.07 | 1.21–1.53 | 1.37 | 1.18–1.61 | <0.001 |
| Limpopo | 571 (6.7) | 1.31 | 0.95–1.21 | 1.00 | 0.87–1.17 | 0.939 |
| Gauteng | 482 (5.7) | 0.39 | 0.34–0.44 | 0.34 | 0.28–0.39 | <0.001 |
| Occupation groups | ||||||
| Technicians | 25 (0.3) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Managers | 36 (0.4) | 1.37 | 0.82–2.82 | 1.54 | 0.86–3.06 | 0.138 |
| Professionals | 70 (0.8) | 1.03 | 0.65–1.63 | 1.63 | 0.97–2.73 | 0.064 |
| Clerks | 36 (0.4) | 1.09 | 0.65–1.81 | 1.69 | 0.57–1.81 | 0.338 |
| Service workers and armed forces | 139 (1.6) | 1.85 | 1.21–2.84 | 1.88 | 1.16–3.06 | 0.011 |
| Skilled agricultural workers | 92 (1.1) | 2.62 | 1.68–4.09 | 2.72 | 1.64–4.51 | <0.001 |
| Craft & related trade workers | 101 (1.2) | 1.24 | 0.80–1.92 | 1.26 | 0.76–2.08 | 0.361 |
| Plant & machine operators | 107 (1.3) | 1.40 | 0.91–2.18 | 1.52 | 0.61–1.91 | 0.096 |
| Elementary occupations | 332 (3.9) | 1.25 | 0.83–1.88 | 1.69 | 1.06–2.71 | 0.027 |
| Unspecified occupations or not economically active | 7635 (89.1) | 0.90 | 0.61–1.33 | 1.94 | 1.23–3.06 | 0.004 |
| Place of death | ||||||
| Hospital | 1628 (19.0) | Reference | Reference | |||
| Home | 2301 (26.8) | 2.21 | 2.08–2.36 | 2.26 | 2.08–2.46 | <0.001 |
| Dead on arrival | 597 (7.0) | 6.94 | 6.31–7.62 | 3.84 | 3.40–4.31 | <0.001 |
| Emergency room | 165 (1.9) | 2.62 | 2.23–3.08 | 1.84 | 1.48–2.27 | <0.001 |
| Nursing home | 77 (0.9) | 0.96 | 0.76–1.21 | 1.21 | 0.87–1.67 | 0.256 |
| Unspecified | 3805 (44.4) | 4.34 | 4.09–4.60 | 3.37 | 3.11–3.66 | <0.001 |
a MOR—mortality odds ratio.