Online Program

282640
Identifying suicidal behavior: A latent class analysis of local yrbs data


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Radley Remo, MPH, Institute for Public Health Informatics and Research, Florida Department of Health, Duval County, Jacksonville, FL
Ryan Butterfield, MPH, DrPH(c), Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Center for Biostatistics, Georgia Southern University and University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Katryne Lukens Bull, MPH, Institute for Public Health Infomatics and Research, Duval County Health Department, Jacksonville, FL
Thomas Bryant III, MSW, Institute for Public Health Informatics and Research, Florida Department of Health, Duval County, Jacksonville, FL
Background/purpose: Risk factors associated with suicidal behavior (suicide ideation, suicide planning, suicide attempt, and injury from suicide attempt) have been well documented. However, patterns of co-occurrence among these factors and other health behaviors have not been fully identified. Geographical variables representing sub-county areas have been included in the analysis to make results from the YRBS more useful to local policy makers. Objective: To assess health behavior patterns of suicidal adolescents and identify if those patterns change between health zones (place of adolescents' residence). Methods: Latent class analysis was used to investigate patterns of health behaviors presented by suicidal adolescents using data from the 2011 Duval County High School Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. This data is unique in that it contains information about the adolescents' place of residence. The sample included 3,336 students from 21 Duval County public high schools. The analysis is designed to identify how health behaviors among suicidal adolescents change specific to where they live. The health behaviors examined include variables related to: Victim of violent behaviors, substance abuse and demographic variables. Results: Currently, the prevalence of each suicide related questions (ideation to attempt with injury) are 14.9%, 14.7%, 12.7% and 4.9%, respectively. Preliminary analysis shows that distinct classes related to suicidal behaviors were identified with gender and health zones. Conclusions: Adolescent suicidal behavior can be identified through latent class analysis. Identification of characteristics can focus limited funding and define policy to address morbidity and mortality.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Define suicidality by using the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey Questionnaire. Identify co-occurent health behaviors with suicidal behavior. Disuss policy implications based on evidence provided by the administration of the YRBS survey.

Keyword(s): Suicide, Young Professionals

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the project manager for data management and analysis of the Duval County (local) Youth Risk Behavior Survey. I co-wrote the YRBS reports and was responsible for analyzing the data. Both injury prevention and epidemiology have been one of my health professional interest.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.