Korean J Fam Med.  2017 May;38(3):135-140. 10.4082/kjfm.2017.38.3.135.

Decomposing Socioeconomic Inequality Determinants in Suicide Deaths in Iran: A Concentration Index Approach

• Veisani Y
• Delpisheh
• Sayehmiri
• Moradi G
• Hassanzadeh J

• KMID: 2379179
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.2017.38.3.135

Abstract

BACKGROUND
It is recognized that socioeconomic status (SES) has a significant impact on health and wellbeing; however, the effect of SES on suicide is contested. This study explored the effect of SES in suicide deaths and decomposed inequality into its determinants to calculate relative contributions.
METHODS
Through a cross-sectional study, 546 suicide deaths and 6,818 suicide attempts from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2014 in Ilam Province, Western Iran were explored. Inequality was measured by the absolute concentration index (ACI) and decomposed contributions were identified. All analyses were performed using STATA ver. 11.2 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA).
RESULTS
The overall ACI for suicide deaths was −0.352 (95% confidence interval, −0.389 to −0.301). According to the results, 9.8% of socioeconomic inequality in suicide deaths was due to addiction in attempters. ACI ranged from −0.34 to −0.03 in 2010-2014, showing that inequality in suicide deaths declined over time.
CONCLUSION
Findings showed suicide deaths were distributed among the study population unequally, and our results confirmed a gap between advantaged and disadvantaged attempters in terms of death. Socioeconomic inequalities in suicide deaths tended to diminish over time, as suicide attempts progressed in Ilam Province.

Keyword

Inequality; Concentration Index; Socioeconomic Factors; Attempted Suicide

MeSH Terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Iran*
Social Class
Socioeconomic Factors*
Suicide*
Suicide, Attempted
Vulnerable Populations