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Cigarette smoking and suicidal behaviour: results from a 25-year longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2007

J. M. Boden ,
D. M. Fergusson  and
L. J. Horwood
J. M. Boden*
Affiliation:
Christchurch Health and Development Study, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
D. M. Fergusson
Affiliation:
Christchurch Health and Development Study, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
L. J. Horwood
Affiliation:
Christchurch Health and Development Study, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr J. M. Boden, Christchurch Health and Development Study, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. (Email: joseph.boden@otago.ac.nz)
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Abstract

Background

This study examined the associations between cigarette smoking and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, both before and after control for potentially confounding using fixed effects regression models.

Method

Data were gathered during the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 25-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children (635 males, 630 females). The analysis was based on a sample of 1041 participants with available data on cigarette smoking and suicidal behaviour from ages 16 to 25 years. The main outcome measures were suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, ages 16–18, 18–21, and 21–25.

Results

There were significant bivariate associations between the frequency of cigarette smoking and both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Cohort members who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day had odds of suicidal ideation that were 3.39 times (95% CI 2.06–5.59) those of non-smokers, and odds of suicide attempt that were 4.39 (95% CI 2.18–8.85) times those of non-smokers. Control for non-observed fixed confounding factors reduced the association between cigarette smoking and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts to statistical non-significance. After adjustment, those smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day had odds of suicidal ideation that were 1.00 times (95% CI 0.46–2.18) those of non-smokers, and odds of suicide attempt that were 1.84 (95% CI 0.81–4.18) times those of non-smokers.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the associations between frequency of cigarette smoking and suicidal behaviour may largely be explained by the non-observed background factors and life circumstances that are associated with both cigarette smoking and suicidal behaviour.

Keywords

Cigarette smokinglongitudinal studysuicidal behaviour
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 3 , March 2008 , pp. 433 - 439
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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