title: The Relationship between Smoking Status and Suicidal Behavior in Korean Adults: The 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2009).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between smoking status and suicidal ideations or suicide attempts in Korean adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used data from the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and involved 17,065 participants. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between smoking status and suicidal behavior. The results were adjusted for covariates including depression and physical disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for covariates, current smokers (odds ratio [OR], 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34 to 2.05) and former smokers (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.72) proved more likely to have suicidal ideations than non-smokers. Among women, current smokers (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.47 to 2.72) and former smokers (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.99) were more likely to have suicidal ideations than non-smokers. However, among the men there was no significant relationship between smoking status and suicidal ideations. Among all the participants who had had suicidal ideations, there was a significant relationship between current smoking and suicide attempts (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.05 to 3.07). There was also a relationship between current smoking and suicide attempts among women (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.31 to 4.37), but no significant relationship among men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a relationship between smoking status and suicidal ideations and suicide attempts in the general population of Korea. This relationship is particularly clear in women, and is independent of comorbid chronic disease and depression. Current smokers and former smokers are more likely to have suicidal ideations than non-smokers; current smokers are also more likely to have attempted suicide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: So-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Hyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Hwan-Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Hoon-Ki
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Attempted Suicide; Smoking; Suicidal Ideation