Table 1

Characteristics of cases and hospital controls for key variables

N (%)P value*
CasesHospital controlsCommunity controls
No. of complete cases (% complete)239 (80.2)456 (91.2)410 (90.1)
Male n (%)104 (43.5)182 (39.9)166 (40.5)0.07
Age median (IQI)26 (32–36)26 (21–37)28 (22–39)0.39
Ethnicity
 Sinhala189 (79.1)419 (91.9)358 (87.3)<0.001
 Tamil30 (12.6)16 (3.5)34 (8.3)
 Moor/Burgher20 (8.4)21 (4.6)18 (4.4)
Religion
 Buddhist182 (76.2)412 (90.4)347 (84.6)<0.001
 Non-Buddhist57 (23.8)44 (9.6)63 (15.4)
Parent’s highest education
 No schooling17 (7.1)7 (1.5)6 (1.5)<0.001
 Primary105 (43.9)150 (32.9)139 (33.9)
 Passed O-Level56 (23.4)139 (30.5)116 (28.3)
 Passed A-Level61 (25.5)160 (35.1)149 (36.3)
Family factors
 Alcohol/drug misuse‡†48 (20.1)85 (18.6)80 (19.5)0.65
 Mental health issues/suicidal§35 (14.6)37 (8.1)36 (8.8)0.01
 Jail/prison¶20 (8.4)27 (5.9)20 (4.9)0.22
 Parental separation/divorce27 (11.3)15 (3.3)19 (4.6)<0.001
 Parental death36 (15.1)31 (6.8)47 (11.5)<0.001
 Violence in the home**48 (20.1)49 (10.7)58 (14.1)0.001
  • 2 and Mann-Whitney U tests comparing cases with hospital controls.

  • †Questions from the WHO adverse childhood experiences questionnaire. In the first 18 years of life: *Did you live with a household member who was a problem drinker or alcoholic, or misused street or prescription drugs?

  • ‡Did you live with a household member who was depressed, mentally ill or suicidal?

  • §Did you live with a household member who was ever sent to jail or prison?

  • ¶Defined as having witnessed (seen or heard) psychological (many times) or physical (few/many times) abuse of a parent or other household member.

  • IQI, interquartile interval.