Differential association of socioeconomic status in ethnic and age-defined suicides.

Suicide rates vary among racel- and age-defined groups, yet little is known about how suicide risk factors differentially impact individual groups. This study assessed differential associations of socioeconomic status among age- and race-defined groups of suicide victims. A database containing demographic information on declared suicides in Fulton County, GA, from 1 January 1988 through 31 December 2003 was combined with annual per capita income by zip code in Atlanta, GA. Analyses were performed to evaluate differential associations of socioeconomic status among age- and race-defined groups of suicide victims. Compared with the respective ethnic populations of Fulton County, white suicide victims lived in areas with lower per capita income ($51,232 vs. $35,893); African American suicide victims did not ($17,384 vs. $18,179). Elderly suicide victims (≥ 65 years) were more likely to live in the lowest per capita income areas compared with other age groups (OR 1.80, 95% C.I. 1.14, 2.84). Cox proportional hazards models showed increasing income increased the instantaneous risk of suicide among adolescents (HR 2.76; 95% C.I. 2.15, 3.53), particularly African American adolescents (HR 4.22; 95% C.I. 2.19, 8.11), and decreased risk among the elderly (HR 0.58; 95% C.I. 0.50, 0.68). Socioeconomic status had differential associations among age- and race-defined groups of suicide victims.