title: Prevalence and risk factors of attempted suicide in adult war-affected population of eastern Uganda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is conflicting evidence on the relationship between war trauma and suicidal behavior. Some studies point to an increased risk of suicidal behavior while others do not, with a paucity of such data from sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of attempted suicide in war-affected Eastern Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was carried out in two districts of Eastern Uganda where 1,560 respondents (15 years and older) were interviewed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess risk factors of attempted suicide in this population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lifetime attempted suicide was 9.2% (n = 142; 95% CI, 7.8%-10.8%), and 12-month attempted suicide was 2.6% (n = 41; 95% CI, 1.9-3.5%). Lifetime attempted suicide was significantly higher among females 101 (11.1%) than among males 43 (6.5%; OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.21-2.65). Factors independently associated with lifetime rate of attempted suicide among females were subcounty, being a victim of intimate partner violence, having reproductive health complaints, and having major depressive disorder. Among males these were belonging to a war-vulnerable group, having a surgical complaint, and having a major depressive disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In both sexes, the lifetime rate of attempted suicide was not independently directly related to experiences of war trauma. It was, however, indirectly related to war trauma through its association with psychological, somatic, and psychosocial sequelae of war.
authors.affiliation: MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda/Senior EDCTP Fellowship, Cape Town, South Africa. eugene.kinyanda@mrcuganda.org
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kinyanda
authors.forename: Helen A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mungherera
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Onyango-Mangen
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ngabirano
authors.forename: Rehema
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kajungu
authors.forename: Johnson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kagugube
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Muhwezi
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muron
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult