BMI and Rates of Suicide in the United States: an Ecological Analysis

The authors ascertained recent population-based, state-level data on rates of obesity, completed suicide by method, firearm ownership, smoking, major depression, income, education, white ethnicity, & nonmetropolitan residence & determined the adjusted population-weighted correlations of statewide obesity rates with measures of completed & attempted suicide. Statewide prevalence of obesity was strongly inversely correlated with age-adjusted suicide rate. The correlation was somewhat stronger for rates of nonfirearm-related than firearm-related suicides, & was of similar magnitude as the positive correlations of firearm prevalence with suicide rate or of obesity with prevalence of diabetes. Obesity rates were inversely correlated with suicidal acts using firearms & suffocation but not other methods. (33 refs.) JA