Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30488817›Full record

ArticlePsychological medicine2019

Body mass index in midlife and risk of attempted suicide and suicide: prospective study of 1 million UK women.

Galit Geulayov, Anne Ferrey, Keith Hawton, Carol Hermon, Gillian K Reeves, Jane Green, Valerie Beral, Sarah Floud, Million Women Study Collaborators

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Galit GeulayovDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Anne FerreyNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Keith HawtonDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Carol HermonNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Gillian K ReevesNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Jane GreenNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Valerie BeralNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Sarah FloudNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Million Women Study Collaborators
University of Oxford · GB

Funding

Cancer Research UK 16491Cancer Research UK A16491Cancer Research UK C570/A16491Department of Health RP-PG-0610-10026Medical Research Council MR/K02700X/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigh body mass index (BMI) has been associated with lower risks of suicidal behaviour and being underweight with increased risks. However, evidence is inconsistent and sparse, particularly for women. We aim to study this relationship in a large cohort of UK women.

methodsIn total 1.2 million women, mean age 56 (s.d. 5) years, without prior suicide attempts or other major illness, recruited in 1996-2001 were followed by record linkage to national hospital admission and death databases. Cox regression yielded relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for attempted suicide and suicide by BMI, adjusted for baseline lifestyle factors and self-reported treatment for depression or anxiety.

resultsAfter 16 (s.d. 3) years of follow-up, 4930 women attempted suicide and 642 died by suicide. The small proportion (4%) with BMI <20 kg/m2 were at clearly greater risk of attempted suicide (RR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.23-1.56) and suicide (RR = 2.10, 1.59-2.78) than women of BMI 20-24.9 kg/m2; p < 0.0001 for both comparisons. Small body size at 10 and 20 years old was also associated with increased risks. Half the cohort had BMIs >25 kg/m2 and, while risks were somewhat lower than for BMI 20-24.9 kg/m2 (attempted suicide RR = 0.91, 0.86-0.96; p = 0.001; suicide RR = 0.79, 0.67-0.93; p = 0.006), the reductions in risk were not strongly related to level of BMI.

conclusionsBeing underweight is associated with a definite increase in the risk of suicidal behaviour, particularly death by suicide. Residual confounding cannot be excluded for the small and inconsistent decreased risk of suicidal behaviour associated with being overweight or obese.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexFemaleHumansMiddle AgedOverweightProportional Hazards ModelsProspective StudiesRisk FactorsSuicideSuicide, AttemptedThinnessUnited KingdomBody mass indexprospectiveself-harmsuicideweightwomen

Identifiers

PMID30488817
PMCPMC6754262
OpenAlexW2902153979

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.