title: Deprivation and suicide mortality across 424 neighborhoods in Seoul, South Korea: a Bayesian spatial analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A neighborhood-level analysis of mortality from suicide would be informative in developing targeted approaches to reducing suicide. This study aims to examine the association of community characteristics with suicide in the 424 neighborhoods of Seoul, South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neighborhood-level mortality and population data (2005-2011) were obtained to calculate age-standardized suicide rates. Eight community characteristics and their associated deprivation index were employed as determinants of suicide rates. The Bayesian hierarchical model with mixed effects for neighborhoods was used to fit age-standardized suicide rates and other covariates with consideration of spatial correlations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide rates for 424 neighborhoods were between 7.32 and 71.09 per 100,000. Ninety-nine percent of 424 neighborhoods recorded greater suicide rates than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries' average. A stepwise relationship between area deprivation and suicide was found. Neighborhood-level indicators for lack of social support (residents living alone and the divorced or separated) and socioeconomic disadvantages (low educational attainment) were positively associated with suicide mortality after controlling for other covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Finding from this study could be used to identify priority areas and to develop community-based programs for preventing suicide in Seoul, South Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Occupational Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Ho
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Pukyung National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Maengseok
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.affiliation: Research and Statistical Support Unit, Research Institute of Convergence for Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Junhee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyunghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung-Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, South Korea. yhkhang@snu.ac.kr.|Institute of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea. yhkhang@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Young-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Khang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D066106:Seoul / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Bayesian hierarchical model; Mortality; Neighborhood; Socioeconomic factor; Spatial analysis; Suicide