Civic Community and Nonmetropolitan White Suicide

Abstract

This study analyzes whether rural White suicide rates are lower where civic participation is strong and where a strong social institutional structure exists. Negative binomial regression analyses of race/sex/age disaggregated suicide regressed on indices of civic community are conducted for a sample of more than 1400 nonmetropolitan counties. White male and female suicide rates are for the most part substantially lower in civically stronger communities. The pattern is evident for both younger and older age groups. Civically strong communities provide some insulation against structural sources of suicide, and public health officials should consider the civic infrastructure of communities when planning community level suicide intervention/prevention strategies.

Keywords:

• civic
• community
• institutional structure
• rural
• suicide

Notes

Note: The first row is the negative binomial regression coefficient and the second row in the parentheses is the standard error.

*p < .10; **p < .05; ***p < .01 (one-tailed tests).