Skip to main content

Table 1 Sample characteristics (N = 647 men)

From: Non-fatal suicidal behaviour, depression and poverty among young men living in low-resource communities in South Africa

 

No suicidal behaviour

Non-fatal suicidal behaviour

Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel Test statistic (df)

p-value

N = 600

N = 47

  

Age in years, mean (sd)

23.0 (2.9)

26.2 (15.5)

-

0.17

Attended High School, Count (%)

573 (95.5)

45(95.7)

0.0154 (1)

0.90

Completed High School, Count (%)

186 (31%)

4 (9%)

9.4722 (1)

0.00*

Single

61 (10%)

10 (21%)

 

0.05

Number of Recognised Children, Count (%)

  

4.3739 (3)

0.22

 0

462 (93%)

35 (7%)

  

 1

114 (93%)

8 (7%)

  

 2

20 (83%)

4 (17%)

  

 3

4 (100%)

0 (0%)

  

Brick Housing

304 (51%)

21 (45%)

0.0823 (1)

0.77

Water Availability

  

3.6576 (2)

0.16

 In the Home

229 (38%)

13 (28%)

  

 On the Premises

196 (33%)

15 (32%)

  

 Community Tap

172 (29%)

19 (40%)

  

Toilet

  

9.2192 (4)

0.06

 Flushing toilet on the Premises

405 (68%)

24 (51%)

2.7249 (1)

0.10

 Public

142 (24%)

15 (32%)

  

 Portable

10 (2%)

2 (4%)

  

 Bucket System

9 (2%)

0 (0%)

  

 Bush

31 (5%)

6 (13%)

  

Electricity

595 (99%)

47 (100%)

0.1789 (1)

0.67

Cooking Fuel - Electricity

516 (86%)

43 (91%)

0.7460 (1)

0.39

Ever having been employed as a:

  

3.2946 (2)

0.19

 Builder

101 (17%)

12 (26%)

  

 Other Work As Defined in Questionnaire

325 (54%)

29 (62%)

  

 Never Worked

141 (24%)

7 (15%)

2.1607 (1)

0.14

Past Month’s Income

  

7.5696 (4)

0.11

 0 to 499 rand

271 (45%)

30 (64%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

201 (74%)

24 (80%)

  

 500 to 1000 rand

128 (21%)

8 (17%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

92 (72%)

6 (75%)

  

 1001 to 2000 rand

90 (15%)

3 (6%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

55 (61%)

2 (67%)

  

 2001 to 5000 rand

94 (16%)

6 (13%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

50 (53%)

4 (67%)

  

 5001+ rand

17 (3%)

0 (0%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

9 (53%)

0

  

Monthly Income 3 Months Ago

  

5.6121 (4)

0.23

 0 to 499 rand

240 (40%)

26 (55%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

192 (80%)

22 (85%)

  

 500 to 1000 rand

154 (26%)

10 (21%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

107 (69%)

8 (80%)

  

 1001 to 2000 rand

83 (14%)

5 (11%)

  

 Does not think this is good income

47 (57%)

4 (80%)

  

 2001 to 5000 rand

103 (17%)

6 (13%)

  

 5001+ rand

20 (3%)

0 (0%)

  

Dissatisfied with income in the past month or past 3 months

424 (71%)

39 (83%)

1.9348 (1)

0.16

Highest Income Ever, Median (IQR)

2800 (1500, 4500)

2000 (1000, 4000)

  

Receives Income From Parents

127 (21%)

4 (9%)

 

0.05*

Receives Income from Partner

  

3.9737 (1)

0.41

 Yes

47 (8%)

2 (5%)

  

 No

194 (34%)

11 (26%)

  

 Partner Has No Income

329 (58%)

30 (70%)

  

Employed Under 18

99 (17%)

10 (21%)

0.4221 (1)

0.52

Job Longest Length

  

4.6188 (2)

0.10

 Never Had a Job

140 (23%)

7 (15%)

  

 < 6 months

234 (39%)

15 (32%)

  

 >= 6 months

226 (38%)

25 (53%)

  

Two or More Jobs in the Last Year

176 (29%)

24 (51%)

9.0176 (1)

< 0.00*

Has Been Fired More than 1 Time In Life

16 (3%)

6 (13%)

10.7869 (1)

< 0.00*

Has Been Fired in the Last Year

24 (4%)

6 (13%)

8.0487 (1)

< 0.00*

Number of People Supporting

  

2.3404 (2)

0.31

 None

378 (63%)

24 (51%)

  

 One to Two

182 (30%)

18 (38%)

  

 Three or More

40 (7%)

5 (11%)

  

Days Hungry in Past Week, Median (IQR)

1 (0, 2)

2 (1, 3)

  

 Hungry 1 or more days a week

312 (52%)

41 (87%)

22.2211 (1)

< 0.00*

 Hungry 3 or more days a week

88 (15%)

17 (36%)

12.9910 (1)

< 0.00*

 Hungry 4 or more days a week

33 (6%)

8 (17%)

9.7243 (1)

< 0.00*

Days Children Hungry in Past Week, Median (IQR)

0 (0, 0)

0 (0, 2)

  

 Children Hungry 1 or more days a week

131 (22%)

17 (36%)

4.8922 (1)

0.03*

 Children Hungry 3 or more days a week

35 (6%)

6 (13%)

2.7915 (1)

0.10

 Children Hungry 4 or more days a week

15 (3%)

2 (4%)

0.5678 (1)

0.45

Worried about Household Food Supply

  

14.3480 (1)

< 0.00*

 Never or Rarely

368 (61%)

16 (34%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

232 (39%)

31 (66%)

  

Not able to eat the kinds of food you prefer

  

6.1330 (1)

0.01*

 Never or Rarely

312 (52%)

16 (34%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

288 (48%)

31 (66%)

  

Not Able To Eat Certain Kinds of Food B/c of Money

  

6.1330 (1)

0.01*

 Never or Rarely

312 (52%)

16 (34%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

288 (48%)

31 (66%)

  

Same Food Each Day

  

14.2851 (1)

< 0.00*

 Never or Rarely

341 (57%)

14 (30%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

259 (43%)

33 (70%)

  

Smaller Meals

  

4.9269 (1)

0.03*

 Never or Rarely

367 (61%)

21 (45%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

233 (39%)

26 (55%)

  

Less Meals a Day

  

16.9928 (1)

< 0.00*

 Never or Rarely

397 (66%)

17 (36%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

203 (34%)

30 (64%)

  

Go To Sleep Hungry

  

16.8415 (1)

< 0.00*

 Never or Rarely

523 (87%)

31 (66%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

77 (13%)

16 (34%)

  

Whole Day Without Food

  

16.8602 (1)

< 0.00*

 Never or Rarely

525 (88%)

31 (66%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

75 (13%)

16 (34%)

  

No Food in House

  

20.2315 (1)

< 0.00*

 Never or Rarely

519 (87%)

29 (62%)

  

 Sometimes or Often

81 (14%)

18 (38%)

  

Overall Hunger Score (range 0 to 9) median (IQR)

2 (1, 5)

6 (2, 8)

 

p < 0.00*

  1. *are statistically signficant