title: Attitudes towards suicide in urban and rural China: a population based, cross-sectional study.
abstract: Suicide intervention programs have been guided by findings that attitude towards suicide and suicidal behavior may be causally linked. These findings also make it imperative to identify the factors that influence attitudes towards suicide. However, there has been little research on attitudes towards suicide among the general population, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. This population-based, cross-sectional study investigated the associated factors of attitudes towards suicide among a representative sample of urban and rural adult residents in China.
  
  
  
  A multi-stage, stratified random sampling approach was implemented to select participants. Data were collected by a survey using the Scale of Public Attitudes about Suicide (SPAS). The survey also collected some socio-demographic factors and suicidal history of participants. Statistical tests were conducted to identify associated factors that account for variations in attitudes towards suicide.
  
  
  
  The residents in China generally hold a neutral attitude towards suicide. Attitudes towards suicide among Chinese residents were associated with age, duration of formal education, marital status, job and suicidal ideation. Different attitudinal subscales seemed not to share the same risk factors. However, gender, ethnicity, religious belief, housing style and economic status might not influence residents' attitudes towards suicide. Attitudes towards suicide among Chinese urban and rural residents generally had no statistical difference with one notable exception: opinions on whether or not suicides and suicide attempts are different phenomena.
  
  
  
  Age, duration of formal education, marital status, job and suicidal ideation seem to have an impact on attitudes towards suicide among residents. Urban and rural residents have similar attitudes towards suicide with the only statistically significance difference being their opinions on whether or not suicides and suicide attempts are different phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yaming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, 12144-3445, USA.
authors.forename: Ricky
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, 12144-3445, USA.
authors.forename: Shao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
authors.forename: Mingan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, 12144-3445, USA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Beijing, 100096, China.
authors.forename: Xianyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. haoyt@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yuantao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001290:Attitude; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attitudes towards suicide; China; Cross-sectional study; Residents; Scale of Public Attitudes about Suicide (SPAS)