Relative Age in School and Suicide among Young Individuals in Japan: A Regression Discontinuity Approach.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Evidence collected in many parts of the world suggests that, compared to older students, students who are relatively younger at school entry tend to have worse academic performance and lower levels of income. This study examined how relative age in a grade affects suicide rates of adolescents and young adults between 15 and 25 years of age using data from Japan.

Method

We examined individual death records in the Vital Statistics of Japan from 1989 to 2010. In contrast to other countries, late entry to primary school is not allowed in Japan. We took advantage of the school entry cutoff date to implement a regression discontinuity (RD) design, assuming that the timing of births around the school entry cutoff date was randomly determined and therefore that individuals

SUBMITTER: Matsubayashi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4550458 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature