Factors associated with suicidal ideation among male college students

This study aimed to estimate factors associated with suicidal ideation among male students from a public university in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, analytical study conducted with 375 students from a federal university in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected in 2019, using a questionnaire composed of questions from validated instruments. The variable "suicidal ideation" was investigated by the question: "During the last 12 months, have you seriously considered a suicide attempt?". Prevalence ratios (PR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were adjusted by poisson's multivariate regression technique. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 17,9%. Being in the age groups 34-41 years (PR:0,82; 95% CI:0,77-0,88) and ≥42 years (PR: 0,84; 95% CI:0,79-0,90), having no religion (PR:1,09; 95% CI:1,02-1,17), have health coverage, including insurance or prepaid plan (PR:0,92; 95% CI:0,86-0,98), and have used pills or steroid injection without a prescription during life 10 to 39 times (PR:1,67; 95% CI:1,60-1,73) and ≥40 times (PR:1,31; 95% CI:1,12-1,25) remained independently associated with suicidal ideation after multivariate data adjustment. It is essential to understand the group of university men as a population in the process of behavioral transition and more susceptible to the adoption of behaviors that compromise their health, mainly related to suicide.