Table 3 Adjusted association between demographic characteristics with suicidal behavior in the Afghan general population in 2017

Sex (Ref = Male)

 Female

1.574 [1.302, 1.902]

1.581 [1.18, 2.118]

1.263 [0.858, 1.86]

1.829 [1.197, 2.794]

1.271 [0.752, 2.148]

Age (Ref = 15–24 years)

 25–34 years

1.044 [0.789, 1.382]

0.725 [0.485, 1.085]

1.046 [0.62, 1.764]

0.857 [0.487, 1.508]

0.992 [0.545, 1.806]

 35–44 years

1.302 [0.973, 1.741]

0.911 [0.609, 1.361]

1.101 [0.645, 1.88]

0.829 [0.466, 1.477]

0.944 [0.515, 1.73]

 45 + yrs (45–95 Years)

1.396 [1.063, 1.834]

0.725 [0.495, 1.06]

0.696 [0.421, 1.151]

0.646 [0.384, 1.085]

0.567 [0.312, 1.032]

Ethnicity (Ref = Tajik)

 Pashtun

1.067 [0.812, 1.403]

1.74 [1.139, 2.658]

1.485 [0.863, 2.556]

1.288 [0.712, 2.33]

1.416 [0.651, 3.083]

 Hazara

1.053 [0.737, 1.504]

1.066 [0.567, 2.003]

0.719 [0.291, 1.775]

0.418 [0.15, 1.165]

0.882 [0.267, 2.914]

 Uzbek

1.106 [0.695, 1.758]

0.86 [0.338, 2.186]

1.339 [0.445, 4.035]

1.47 [0.387, 5.581]

1.312 [0.398, 4.327]

 Other

1.224 [0.823, 1.821]

2.079 [1.101, 3.927]

2.016 [0.873, 4.655]

2.123 [0.928, 4.858]

1.217 [0.335, 4.425]

Education (Ref = No education)

 Less than high school

1.006 [0.784, 1.291]

1.047 [0.724, 1.514]

1.085 [0.681, 1.73]

1.062 [0.64, 1.764]

1.067 [0.575, 1.98]

 High school and university

0.735 [0.559, 0.965]

0.641 [0.419, 0.981]

0.506 [0.273, 0.938]

0.614 [0.328, 1.152]

0.475 [0.203, 1.116]

Marital status (Ref = Not married and widowed or separated)

 Married and living with spouse

0.945 [0.737, 1.213]

0.862 [0.608, 1.221]

0.944 [0.578, 1.542]

1.054 [0.62, 1.793]

0.905 [0.516, 1.586]

Self-reported economic status (Ref = Very poor and poor)

 Middle and rich

0.61 [0.513, 0.727]

0.514 [0.397, 0.665]

0.573 [0.41, 0.8]

0.49 [0.342, 0.702]

0.428 [0.273, 0.671]

Region (Ref = Central)

 South

0.453 [0.315, 0.653]

0.855 [0.505, 1.446]

0.781 [0.414, 1.47]

1.111 [0.557, 2.215]

0.882 [0.371, 2.097]

 East

0.209 [0.138, 0.317]

0.273 [0.149, 0.5]

0.242 [0.11, 0.532]

0.31 [0.134, 0.717]

0.298 [0.104, 0.851]

 Southwest

0.235 [0.162, 0.34]

0.357 [0.208, 0.611]

0.355 [0.195, 0.649]

0.396 [0.202, 0.776]

0.406 [0.18, 0.915]

 West

0.708 [0.52, 0.964]

0.643 [0.397, 1.042]

0.489 [0.264, 0.903]

0.506 [0.258, 0.995]

0.423 [0.186, 0.959]

 North

0.255 [0.173, 0.376]

0.11 [0.05, 0.245]

0.146 [0.058, 0.368]

0.136 [0.052, 0.356]

0.158 [0.046, 0.544]

 Central highland

0.479 [0.329, 0.697]

0.498 [0.265, 0.935]

0.463 [0.204, 1.051]

0.586 [0.244, 1.407]

0.195 [0.055, 0.687]

Northeast

0.214 [0.138, 0.33]

0.342 [0.162, 0.723]

0.275 [0.102, 0.737]

0.224 [0.067, 0.744]

0.297 [0.092, 0.96]

Area of residence (Ref = Urban)

 Rural

1.123 [0.879, 1.435]

1.027 [0.685, 1.54]

1.068 [0.628, 1.816]

0.981 [0.554, 1.738]

1.005 [0.484, 2.087]