Body Mass Index and Suicide

Abstract

Background: In recent years a growing body of evidence have suggested an association of Body Mass Index with suicide. Most researches favoured inverse linear relationship between the two i.e. suicide decreases with increase in body mass index. The current research aims to find out mean body mass index score difference between suicide and non-suicide groups and to examine the association between body mass index and suicide in Indian scenario.
Method: Case-control study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. 171 study sample (cases N = 121, controls N = 50) brought for medicolegal autopsy were selected. Height and weight measured, body mass index calculated and categorised. Data were analysed using R version 3.3.3.
Conclusion: Victims of suicide had lower mean body mass index compared to control (p < 0.001). The study resulted in inverse linear relation between body mass index and suicide between BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 to 24.99 kg/m2. Association between BMI and suicide is inverse but not strong in overweight.