“Geography of suicide in Hong Kong: Spatial patterning, and socioeconomic correlates and inequalities”

Hsu, Chia Yueh; Chang, Shu‐Sen; Lee, Esther S.T.; Yip, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.02.019

Cited by 63 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Other area-level characteristics The following variables were included in the analysis based on previous studies that reported on their ecological associations with area rates of self-harm or suicide: the social class distribution of households (Middleton et al, 2004), social housing (i.e. lowcost rental housing owned or managed by the state or non-profit organisations) (Hsu et al, 2015), population with limiting longterm illness (Middleton et al, 2004), lone-parent households (Middleton et al, 2004), ethnicity other than White British (Johnston et al, 2006), population density (O'Farrell et al, 2015) and travel distance to the nearest emergency department (O'Farrell et al, 2015).…”

Section: Social Fragmentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterning and correlates of self-harm in Manchester, England

Lin

Bickley

Clements

et al. 2019

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

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Aims To investigate the spatial distribution of self-harm incidence rates, their socioeconomic correlates and sex/age differences using data on self-harm presentations to emergency departments from The Manchester Self-Harm Project (2003–2013). Methods Smoothed standardised incidence ratios for index self-harm episodes (n = 14 771) and their associations with area-level socioeconomic factors across 258 small areas (median population size = 1470) in the City of Manchester municipality were estimated using Bayesian hierarchical models. Results Higher numbers and rates of self-harm were found in the north, east and far southern zones of the city, in contrast to below average rates in the city centre and the inner city zone to the south of the centre. Males and females aged 10–24, 25–44 and 45–64 years showed similar geographical patterning of self-harm. In contrast, there was no clear pattern in the group aged 65 years and older. Fully adjusted analyses showed a positive association of self-harm rates with the percentage of the unemployed population, households privately renting, population with limiting long-term illness and lone-parent households, and a negative association with the percentage of ethnicity other than White British and travel distance to the nearest hospital emergency department. The area-level characteristics investigated explained a large proportion (four-fifths) of the variability in area self-harm rates. Most associations were restricted to those aged under 65 years and some associations (e.g. with unemployment) were present only in the youngest age group. Conclusions The findings have implications for allocating prevention and intervention resources targeted at high-risk groups in high incidence areas. Targets for area-based interventions might include tackling the causes and consequences of joblessness, better treatment of long-term illness and consideration of the accessibility of health services.

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Section: Social Fragmentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterning and correlates of self-harm in Manchester, England

Lin

Bickley

Clements

et al. 2019

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

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“…For example, in London, UK, high suicide rates were found to concentrate in the deprived city center (Middleton et al, 2008). Most of the world's largest cities are located in Asia (Satterthwaite, 2007); however, only few previous studies have investigated the spatial patterning of suicide in Asian cities such as Hong Kong, China (Fong & Yip, 2003;Hsu et al, 2015), and Seoul, South Korea (Yoon et al, 2015). It is expected that Asian countries will continue to experience massive urbanization in the coming decades (Satterthwaite, 2007) and some recent studies of suicide trend in China suggest diminishing positive impact of urbanization on suicide (Sha et al, 2017), underscoring the need to better understand the pattern of suicide in Asian cities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterning, correlates, and inequality in suicide across 432 neighborhoods in Taipei City, Taiwan

Lin

Hsu

Gunnell

et al. 2019

Social Science & Medicine

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More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas. Understanding the spatial distribution of suicide in these settings may inform prevention. Previous analyses of the spatial distribution of suicide in cities were mostly restricted to Western nations. We investigated the spatial pattern of suicide and factors associated with its spatial distribution in Taipei City, Taiwan. We estimated smoothed standardized mortality ratios for overall suicide and suicide by sex/age group across 432 neighborhoods (mean population size: 5,500) in Taipei City, Taiwan (2004-2010) using Bayesian hierarchical models. A range of area-level characteristics including socioeconomic deprivation, social fragmentation, income inequality, and linking social capital were investigated for their associations with suicide mortality. Overall suicide rates were below average in the city center, whereas above average rates were found in some suburbs. The cartogram highlighted the concentration of suicide burden in the western area of the city. Male suicides demonstrated generally similar spatial patterning across age groups, while the geographic distribution of female suicides differed by age. After adjusting for other variables, two area characteristics were found to be associated with area suicide rates: the proportion of divorced/separated adults (rate ratio [RR] per one standard deviation increase =1.08, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.16), an indicator of social fragmentation; and median household income (RR=0.80, 0.73-0.86), an indicator of socioeconomic deprivation. There was a 1.8-fold difference in suicide rates between neighborhood quintiles with the lowest and the highest median household income, with middle-aged males showing the largest gradient (3.2-fold difference). The geography of suicide in Taipei City showed spatial patterning and socioeconomic correlates distinct from cities in Western nations. There is a need for future research to better understand the correlates of change in the geographic distribution of suicide throughout the process of urban development.

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“…About 16% of Hong Kong’s residents had primary education, and 14% did not receive any formal education [16]. In addition, Hong Kong is a setting with high socioeconomic inequalities and a higher Gini coefficient (0.531 in 2011) than most developed countries [17]. The wide gap between the rich and the poor puts people with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) at a great disadvantage in terms of being able to afford a smartphone or tablet and get access to the Internet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health App Possession Among Smartphone or Tablet Owners in Hong Kong: Population-Based Survey

Shen¹,

Wang²,

Chu³

et al. 2017

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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BackgroundHealth apps are increasingly used with important implications for health. Hong Kong is one of the most technologically advanced and connected cities—smartphone ownership and Internet access rates are among the highest in the world.ObjectiveWe investigated the prevalence of health app possession and related sociodemographic factors and health behaviors among smartphone or tablet owners in Hong Kong.MethodsA territory-wide population-based dual (landline and mobile) telephone survey was conducted in 2016. Respondents were asked whether they had health-related apps on their smartphones or tablets and what functions were available on the apps (eg, tracking physical activity and logging health records). Logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% CI of health app possession for different demographic characteristics, socioeconomic position (education, employment, and income), health behaviors (smoking, alcohol, and physical activity) and health (body mass index and chronic diseases).ResultsOf the 4129 smartphone or tablet owners (81.28%, 4129/5080 respondents), 995 (24.10%) had a health app. Tracking physical activity (67.0% of 995) and logging health records (43.0% of 995) were the most common functions of the health apps. Overall, younger age, higher education, and household income were associated with having health apps (all P<.001). Compared with physical inactivity, engaging in moderate physical activity ≥1 day/week was associated with having health apps (aOR 1.45 [95% CI 1.20-1.75] for 1-3 days/week, and aOR 1.32 [95% CI 1.07-1.62] for ≥4 days/week). Having a history of chronic diseases was associated with having health apps (aOR 1.36 [95% CI 1.11-1.68]).ConclusionsWe have shown a lower prevalence of use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in respondents with lower education and income in the most developed Chinese city. This could be seen as a confirmation of the “Inverse information law,” which suggests that those most in need have less use of services and hence receive less benefits from advancements in medicine and health related ICTs.

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“Geography of suicide in Hong Kong: Spatial patterning, and socioeconomic correlates and inequalities”

Cited by 63 publications

References 32 publications

Spatial patterning and correlates of self-harm in Manchester, England

Spatial patterning and correlates of self-harm in Manchester, England

Spatial patterning, correlates, and inequality in suicide across 432 neighborhoods in Taipei City, Taiwan

Health App Possession Among Smartphone or Tablet Owners in Hong Kong: Population-Based Survey

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