Related Experiment Videos
Suicide rate and skin color
1Department of Basic Psychological Research, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria. martin.voracek@univie.ac.at
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|August 19, 2006
Summary
Higher suicide rates in men, women, and the elderly correlate with lighter skin color across nations. This ecological association persists regardless of national wealth or economic factors.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Previous research has explored various factors influencing national suicide rates.
- The role of skin pigmentation in public health outcomes remains an under-examined area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ecological association between national skin color and suicide rates.
- To determine if this association is independent of socioeconomic factors like Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of aggregate-level data from two distinct samples of nations (53 and 43 countries).
- Correlational study examining the relationship between average national skin color and national suicide rates across different demographic groups (men, women, elderly).
- Statistical control for national affluence using per capita GDP.
Main Results:
- A consistent positive correlation was observed between lighter national skin color and higher suicide rates.
- This association was evident across all examined demographic groups: men, women, and the elderly population.
- The observed relationship between skin color and suicide rates remained statistically significant even after accounting for national differences in per capita GDP.
Conclusions:
- Lighter skin color is ecologically associated with higher national suicide rates.
- This association appears independent of national affluence, suggesting other underlying factors may be involved.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms behind this observed ecological correlation.