In two previously described samples of 53 and 43 nations, higher suicide rates of men, women, and the elderly population consistently corresponded to lighter skin color. This ecological (aggregate-level) association was independent of national differences in affluence, as measured by per capita Gross Domestic Product.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
FrostP. (2005) Fair women, dark men: The forgotten roots of color prejudice. Christchurch, New Zealand: Cybereditions.
2.
FrostP. (2006) European hair and eye color: A case of frequency-dependent sexual selection?Evolution and Human Behavior, 27, 85–103.
3.
JensenA. R. (1973) Educability and group differences. London: Methuen.
4.
LamasonR. L.MohideenM. A.MestJ. R.WongA. C.NortonH. L.ArosM. C.JurynecM. J.MaoX.HumphrevilleV. R.HumbertJ. E.SinhaS.MooreJ. L.JagadeeswaranP.ZhaoW.NingG.MakalowskaI.McKeigueP. M.O'DonnellD.KittlesR.ParraE. J.ManginiN. J.GrunwaldD. J.ShriverM. D.CanfieldV. A.ChengK. C. (2005) SLC24A5, a putative cation exchanger, affects pigmentation in zebrafish and humans. Science, 310, 1782–1786.
5.
LesterD. (1986) Tattoos, eye color and method for suicide. Activitas Nervosa Superior, 28, 239–240.
6.
LynnR.VanhanenT. (2002) IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, CT: Praeger.
7.
ManningJ. T.BundredP. E.MatherF. (2004) Second to fourth digit ratio, sexual selection, and skin colour. Evolution and Human Behavior, 25, 38–50.
8.
PolednakA. P. (1989) Racial and ethnic differences in disease. New York: Oxford Univer. Press.
9.
RezaA.MercyJ. A.KrugE. (2001) Epidemiology of violent deaths in the world. Injury Prevention, 7, 104–111.
10.
RushtonJ. P. (2000) Race, evolution, and behavior: A life history perspective. (3rd ed.) Port Huron, MI: Charles Darwin Research Institute.
11.
TemplerD. I.ArikawaH. (2006) Temperature, skin color, per capita income, and IQ: An international perspective. Intelligence, 34, 121–139.
12.
VoracekM. (2004) National intelligence and suicide rate: An ecological study of 85 countries. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 543–553.
13.
VoracekM. (2005) National intelligence, suicide rate in the elderly, and a threshold intelligence for suicidality: An ecological study of 48 Eurasian countries. Journal of Biosocial Science, 37, 721–740.
