Sociodemographic factors associated with suicide mortality in Costa Rica, 2013-2017

Abstract

Objective: Identify the association between some sociodemographic variables of a group of deceased people in Costa Rica, by suicide, during 2013 and 2017. Methods: Data about sex, age, nationality, economic activity, wedlock and time-space variables where acquired from the National Bureau of Statistics, regarding suicides during those years, models of logistic regression where used to find the possible association between variables. Results: Males had the greater probability to die by means of suicide (OR= 2,4 p= 0,00) and with an increment of age the suicidal tendencies decreased. People from Costa Rica had a greater probability to commit suicide, however it was not statistically significative, than that of foreigners, (OR=1, 15 p= 0,10). People with economical activities, had greater possibility to commit suicide that the ones without (OR=1,35 p=0,00). Also, people that are part of consensual relations, had a lesser possibility to commit suicide than others (OR=0,71 p=0,00). In regards of location people that inhabit “Brunca” region at the south of the country, had a greater possibility to die of suicide, compared to people that lived at the central region (OR=1,20 p=0,00). During the time that was analyzed the frequency of suicides remained stable. Conclusions: Suicides in Costa Rica are associated to certain socio-economic variables, and this exploratory result, can be the starting point of future investigations to search deeper into causal relations that would allow the creation of health and prevention policies.