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S085-4
Geography of Suicide in Hong Kong: Spatial Patterning, and Socioeconomic
Correlates and Inequalities

Chia-Yueh Hsu1, Shu-Sen Chang2, Esther Lee1, Paul Yip1

1Hong Kong University, Hong Kong 2National Taiwan University, Taiwan

Background/Objective: Past urban research on Western nations tends to show high suicide rates in
inner city and socioeconomically deprived areas. However, little is known about geographic
variations in suicide in non-Western cities.
Method: We used Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate smoothed standardised mortality ratios
(2005-2010) for suicide in people aged 10 years or above in each geographic unit in Hong Kong at
two levels, i.e. large street block (n = 1639) and small tertiary planning unit group (n = 204). We
further analysed their associations with a range of area socioeconomic characteristics and a
deprivation index.
Result: The “city centre” of Hong Kong, a generally non-deprived area, showed mostly below
average suicide rates. However, there were high rates concentrating in some socioeconomically
deprived, densely populated areas, including some inner city areas, across the city. Males had greater
geographic variations in rates than females, except the elderly group. The use of smaller geographic
units revealed finer detailed suicide distribution than the use of larger units, and showed that suicide
rates were associated with indicators of socioeconomic deprivation (population with
non-professional jobs and low median household income), and social fragmentation (proportions of
unmarried adults and divorced/separated adults), but not with Gini coefficient. Sex/age groups had
different associations with suicide rates. Areas in the most deprived quintile had a suicide rate more
than two times higher than the least deprived. The association between suicide and deprivation was
stronger in males than females and more marked in the younger populations compared to the elderly.
Conclusion: The spatial distribution of suicide in Hong Kong showed distinct patterning and a
stronger association with income compared to findings from Western countries. Suicide prevention
strategies should consider tackling the marked socioeconomic gradient in suicide and high risk in
young and middle-aged males living in deprived areas.

Fig. 1. Maps of smoothed standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for suicide in
population aged 10 years or above across (A) large street block (n = 1639) and