Association between Suicidal Ideation and Blood Cadmium Levels Based on the 3rd to 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the association between blood cadmium levels and suicidal ideation.Methods: Using data from the 3rd to 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, the geometric mean of blood cadmium levels according to suicidal ideation was compared using multiple linear regression analyses in male and female adults. The frequency of suicidal ideation according to the blood cadmium levels was also compared using multiple logistic regression models.Results: In total, 6,877 men and 6,698 women were included in the study. When adjusting for all potential confounding factors, the geometric mean of blood cadmium levels was significantly higher in participants with suicidal ideation than in those without suicidal ideation in both men (0.92 ng/ml [95% confidence interval 0.87∼0.97 ng/ml] vs. 0.86 ng/ml [0.84∼0.88 ng/ml]; p=.026) and women (1.05 ng/ml [95% confidence interval 1.01∼1.10 ng/ml] vs. 0.99 ng/ml [0.98∼1.02 ng/ml]; p=.006). After adjusting for potential confounders, the frequency of suicidal ideation significantly increased as blood cadmium levels increased in men (p for trend=.014) and women (p for trend=.034).Conclusions: Results revealed an association between blood cadmium levels and suicidal ideation in Korean adults.