Factors associated with suicide/self-inflicted injuries among women aged 18–65 years in the United States: A 13-year retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a significant cause of mortality in the United States, accounting for 14.5 deaths/100,000. Although there are data on gender disparity in suicide/self-inflicted injury rates in the United States, few studies have examined the factors associated with suicide/self-inflicted injury in females. OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with suicide/self-inflicted injuries among women aged 18–65 years in the United States. METHODS: Hospitalizations for suicide or self-inflicted injuries were identified using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2003–2015 using sample weights to generate national estimates. Independent predictors of suicide/self-inflicted injuries were identified using multivariable regression models. Interaction term analysis to identify the interaction between race/ethnicity and income were conducted. RESULTS: There were 1,031,693 adult women hospitalizations in the U.S. with a primary diagnosis of suicide/self-inflicted injury in the study period. The highest suicide/self-inflicted injury risk was among women aged 31-45years (OR = 1.23, CI = 1.19–1.27, p < 0.05). Blacks in the highest income strata had a 20% increase in the odds of suicide/self-inflicted injury compared to Whites in the lowest socioeconomic strata (OR = 1.20, CI = 1.05–1.37, p <0.05). Intimate partner violence increased suicide/self-inflicted injury risk 6-fold (OR = 5.77, CI = 5.01–6.65, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Suicide risk is among women aged 31–45 years, higher earning Black women, intimate partner violence victims, uninsured, and current smokers. Interventions and policies that reduce smoking, prevents intimate partner violence, addresses racial discrimination and bias, and provides universal health coverage are needed to prevent excess mortality from suicide deaths.