Suicidal ideation in Peruvian adults at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: an analytical study

Objective: To analyze the potential association and probability of suicidal ideation in Peruvian adults at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: cross-sectional study based on the database of the National Demographic Health Survey conducted in Peru in 2022. The population was 29 831 Peruvian adults. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, concerning the item on suicidal ideation, and the Diabetes Risk Questionnaire of Bang et al. were used. Results: 32.60% of the respondents were in the risk group for type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to the risk scale of Bang et al. The risk score for this type of diabetes was higher in adults who reported suicidal thoughts. The frequency of suicidal ideation was higher in adults who presented a score equal to or higher than 4 points on the Bang et al. questionnaire (risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus). The association between the presence or absence of risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and suicidal ideation was statistically significant (p < 0.001) and of low intensity. In the multivariate analysis, in both sexes we found potential association of suicidal ideation with the risk of having type 2 diabetes mellitus (women: ORa 2.010-IC95% 1.720-2.349; men: ORa 2.703-IC95% 2.209-3.302), Native mother tongue (women: ORa 1.283-IC95% 1.099-1.489); men: ORa 1.661-IC95% 1.338-2.062) abdominal circumference (women: ORa 0.745-IC95% 0.639-0.870), ethnic identification (women: ORa 1.273-IC95% 1.099-1.476; men: ORa 1.306-IC95% 1.050-1.625), and educational level (women: ORa 1.719-IC95% 1.462-2.022; men: ORa 2.445-IC95%1.863-3.101). Conclusions: In both men and women, a significant association was found between suicidal ideation and being at risk of type II diabetes mellitus, as well as being of an ethnic identity other than mestizo, having a native language and having studied up to secondary school, while high abdominal circumference (>88 cm) was associated only in women.