Eating habits associated with a history of suicide attempts in psychiatric outpatients

Abstract

Background: The association of eating habits and suicide attempts has been insufficiently studied. Aim: This study aimed to determine the eating habits associated with suicide at tempts in a sample of psychiatric outpatients. Methods: Through a case control study design, 283 psychiatric outpatients attending in two public hospitals in Durango City, Mexico were studied. Of the 283 patients, 156 have had suicide attempts and 127 have not had suicide attempts. Eating habits were obtained from all outpatients and compared in patients with history of suicide attempts and patients without such history. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed differences in eating habits between psychiatric outpatients with and without history of suicide attempts. A history of suicide attempts was positively associated with consumption of pork (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.17 - 4.71; P = 0.01), mutton (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.25 - 4.52; P = 0.008), chorizo (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.04 - 4.19; P = 0.03), unwashed raw vegetables (OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.26 - 8.32; P = 0.01), and untreated water (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.03 - 3.02; P = 0.03), and negatively associated with consumption of goat meat (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17 - 0.90; P = 0.02), and turkey meat (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.23 - 0.73; P = 0.002). Conclusions: This is the first report on the association of eating habits with suicide attempts in psychiatric outpatients. Results suggest that suicide attempts are associated not only with the type of meat consumed but also with poor food hygiene in psychiatric outpa tients. Further studies to confirm or challenge such results are needed.