김은경

수원과학대학교 간호학과

Background: Suicide is the number one cause of youth
death in Korea. Suicide rate differ by age groups.
Suicide ideation provides useful information to understand
and predict suicide. It is unclear whether the preva￾lence
and risk factors of suicidal ideation of adolescents differ
among age groups. This study aimed to compare
the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal ideation by age
groups among the adolescents in Korea.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used Fifth Korean
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(KNHANES V-3, 2012). The participants were divided into
three age groups: the first adolescents (9-14 years,
n=628), middle adolescents (15-19 years, n=361), and
latter adolescents (20-24 years, n=276) groups.
Multiple logistic regression was used for data analysis.
Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 15.1% of
first adolescents, 16.4% of middle adolescents, and
15.6% of latter adolescents, respectively. There was no
difference on prevalence of suicidal ideation by age
groups. Among risk factors of suicidal ideation, sex (female)
was risk factor in the first and latter adolescents,
depression and stress were risk factors in all age
adolescents.
Conclusions: Suicide prevention in adolescents should be
done from the upper grades of elementary school
and focus on strategies to reduce depression and stress
according to adolescents characteristics. Also, female
adolescents should not overlook the high risk of suicidal
ideation.
Korean J Health Promot 2018;18(1):42-50
Keywords: Adolescent, Suicidal ideation, Risk factors, Age
groups