Table 1 Sample and suicidal behaviour characteristics among 1486 men and 2702 women aged 18–69 years in Malawi
Variable | Total sample | Suicidal behavioura (past 12 months) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Men | Women | ||
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |
Socio-demographics | |||
All | 4187 | 92 (6.0) | 239 (9.6) |
Age (years) | |||
18–29 | 1371 (45.5) | 16 (2.7) | 85 (8.9) |
30–49 | 1890 (39.7) | 55 (9.6) | 106 (10.3) |
50–69 | 926 (14.7) | 21 (6.6) | 48 (10.0) |
Education | |||
Secondary or more | 1057 (24.7) | 29 (6.4) | 44 (7.8) |
Standard 5–8 | 1227 (34.0) | 34 (5.4) | 77 (12.1) |
Standard 1–4 | 1318 (31.3) | 27 (5.6) | 89 (10.0) |
None | 581 (10.0) | 2 (9.8) | 28 (5.5) |
Marital status | |||
Never married | 418 (14.4) | 11 (5.4) | 11 (6.0) |
Married/cohabiting | 2888 (73.0) | 70 (6.4) | 152 (9.7) |
Separated/divorced/widowed | 866 (12.6) | 11 (3.2) | 76 (11.2) |
Employment status | |||
Nonpaid or unemployed | 2329 (56.2) | 29 (5.3) | 167 (10.5) |
Employed or student | 1756 (43.8) | 62 (6.5) | 70 (7.7) |
Residence | |||
Rural | 3343 (89.1) | 82 (6.1) | 188 (9.5) |
Urban | 844 (10.9) | 10 (5.2) | 51 (10.2) |
Language of interview | |||
Tumbuka | 145 (4.3) | 3 (6.2) | 4 (5.4) |
Chewa | 3535 (78.3) | 62 (5.5) | 193 (9.2) |
English | 506 (17.5) | 27 (8.0) | 42 (12.7) |
Psychosocial distress | |||
Alcohol family problem | 294 (8.3) | 27 (19.1) | 27 (23.0) |
Family member attempted suicide | 172 (5.4) | 9 (6.0) | 20 (22.8) |
Family member died from suicide | 96 (2.5) | 4 (3.2) | 13 (27.6) |
Passive smoking | 700 (20.7) | 23 (8.7) | 44 (12.2) |
Physical factors and risk behaviours | |||
Systolic blood pressure (< 100 mmHg) | 289 (6.4) | 7 (14.8) | 19 (8.9) |
Not taking anti-hypertension medication | 301 (5.6) | 2 (2.4) | 34 (15.3) |
Body mass index | |||
Normal | 2756 (73.0) | 65 (5.9) | 151 (10.2) |
Underweight | 277 (8.5) | 11 (4.1) | 16 (18.1) |
Overweight | 655 (13.5) | 12 (6.9) | 34 (7.6) |
Obesity | 319 (5.0) | 3 (1.4) | 22 97.1) |
Diabetes status | |||
No | 3590 (97.0) | 77 (5.6) | 203 (9.1) |
Prediabetes | 103 (1.7) | 2 (6.7) | 9 (19.7) |
Diabetes | 73 (1.3) | 3 (11.5) | 5 (11.2) |
Raised total cholesterol | 457 (8.2) | 9 (10.0) | 27 (6.0) |
Heart attack, angina or stroke | 312 (6.5) | 7 (5.5) | 38 (18.6) |
Early smoking initiation (≤ 14 years) | 26 (0.5) | 4 (34.4) | 1 (17.6) |
Current smokeless tobacco use | 78 (1.4) | 1 (1.1) | 9 (16.7) |
Current alcohol use | 558 (17.3) | 34 (7.6) | 11 (19.4) |
Alcohol dependence | 152 (5.0) | 10 (9.5) | 2 (7.7) |
No active transport | 365 (8.0) | 5 (2.0) | 44 (19.6) |
Sedentary behaviour | 233 (5.6) | 10 (12.7) | 16 (10.6) |