title: Suicide among young Alaska Native men: community risk factors and alcohol control.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  I examined community risk factors that explained variation in suicide rates among young rural Alaska Native men, evaluating the effectiveness of local alcohol control as a public health policy to reduce this population's historically high vulnerability.
  
  
  METHODS
  I compiled suicide data, alcohol control status, and community-level social, cultural, and economic characteristics for Alaska Native men aged 15 to 34 years in 178 small Alaska communities from 1980 to 2007. Poisson regression equations explained variation in suicide rates as a function of endogenous alcohol control and community characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide rates were higher in communities prohibiting alcohol importation under state law, but the effect was not significant after controlling for other community characteristics. More remote communities, those with fewer non-Natives, and those with evidence of cultural divides had higher suicide risks. Communities with higher incomes, more married couples, and traditional elders had lower risks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol control is ineffective in preventing suicide among Alaska Natives; suicide instead appears related to particular complex community characteristics that are either protective or increase risk. Communities have limited means to pursue economic and cultural development strategies that might offer more protection.
authors.affiliation: Matthew Berman is with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska, Anchorage.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 1988 Feb;78(2):179-80
references.pmid: 3337334
references.citation: Cult Med Psychiatry. 1979 Jun;3(2):111-51
references.pmid: 498805
references.citation: JAMA. 1997 Dec 3;278(21):1755-8
references.pmid: 9388152
references.citation: Arch Suicide Res. 2006;10(2):209-20
references.pmid: 16574617
references.citation: Int J Addict. 1990-1991;25(5A-6A):655-85
references.pmid: 2101397
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 2000 Mar;61(2):311-9
references.pmid: 10757142
references.citation: JAMA. 1997 Dec 3;278(21):1775-7
references.pmid: 9388156
references.citation: Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2010 Dec;59(2):1-52
references.pmid: 25073655
references.citation: Alaska Med. 1988 Mar-Apr;30(2):45-52
references.pmid: 3389480
references.citation: Am Indian Alsk Native Ment Health Res. 1993;5(2):34-45
references.pmid: 8130312
references.citation: Psychiatry. 1991 Feb;54(1):55-63
references.pmid: 2023974
references.citation: Int J Circumpolar Health. 2009 Jun;68(3):212-23
references.pmid: 19705654