Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil.
PURPOSE: To analyze whether income inequality and other social determinants are associated with suicide rate in Brazil. METHOD: This study used panel data from all 5,507 Brazilian municipalities from 2000 to 2011. Suicide rates were calculated by sex and standardized by age for each municipality and...
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doaj-0cff35734a1f4413a81c176faed865102020-11-25T01:44:40ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01104e012493410.1371/journal.pone.0124934Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil.Daiane Borges MachadoDavide RasellaDarci Neves Dos SantosPURPOSE: To analyze whether income inequality and other social determinants are associated with suicide rate in Brazil. METHOD: This study used panel data from all 5,507 Brazilian municipalities from 2000 to 2011. Suicide rates were calculated by sex and standardized by age for each municipality and year. The independent variables of the regression model included the Gini Index, per capita income, percentage of individuals with up to eight years of education, urbanization, average number of residents per household, percentage of divorced people, of Catholics, Pentecostals, and Evangelicals. A multivariable negative binomial regression for panel data with fixed-effects specification was performed. RESULTS: The Gini index was positively associated with suicide rates; the rate ratio (RR) was 1.055 (95% CI: 1.011-1.101). Of the other social determinants, income had a significant negative association with suicide rates (RR: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.948-0.988), whereas a low-level education had a positive association (RR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.010-1.021). CONCLUSIONS: Income inequality represents a community-level risk factor for suicide rates in Brazil. The decrease in income inequality, increase in income per capita, and decrease in the percentage of individuals who did not complete basic studies may have counteracted the increase in suicides in the last decade. Other changes, such as the decrease in the mean residents per household, may have contributed to their increase. Therefore, the implementation of social policies that may improve the population's socioeconomic conditions and reduce income inequality in Brazil, and in other low and middle-income countries, can help to reduce suicide rates.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4416030?pdf=render |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Daiane Borges Machado Davide Rasella Darci Neves Dos Santos |
spellingShingle |
Daiane Borges Machado Davide Rasella Darci Neves Dos Santos Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. PLoS ONE |
author_facet |
Daiane Borges Machado Davide Rasella Darci Neves Dos Santos |
author_sort |
Daiane Borges Machado |
title |
Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. |
title_short |
Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. |
title_full |
Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. |
title_fullStr |
Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. |
title_sort |
impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in brazil. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS ONE |
issn |
1932-6203 |
publishDate |
2015-01-01 |
description |
PURPOSE: To analyze whether income inequality and other social determinants are associated with suicide rate in Brazil. METHOD: This study used panel data from all 5,507 Brazilian municipalities from 2000 to 2011. Suicide rates were calculated by sex and standardized by age for each municipality and year. The independent variables of the regression model included the Gini Index, per capita income, percentage of individuals with up to eight years of education, urbanization, average number of residents per household, percentage of divorced people, of Catholics, Pentecostals, and Evangelicals. A multivariable negative binomial regression for panel data with fixed-effects specification was performed. RESULTS: The Gini index was positively associated with suicide rates; the rate ratio (RR) was 1.055 (95% CI: 1.011-1.101). Of the other social determinants, income had a significant negative association with suicide rates (RR: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.948-0.988), whereas a low-level education had a positive association (RR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.010-1.021). CONCLUSIONS: Income inequality represents a community-level risk factor for suicide rates in Brazil. The decrease in income inequality, increase in income per capita, and decrease in the percentage of individuals who did not complete basic studies may have counteracted the increase in suicides in the last decade. Other changes, such as the decrease in the mean residents per household, may have contributed to their increase. Therefore, the implementation of social policies that may improve the population's socioeconomic conditions and reduce income inequality in Brazil, and in other low and middle-income countries, can help to reduce suicide rates. |
url |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4416030?pdf=render |
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