Correlates of depressive symptomatology among older community-dwelling Mexican Americans: the Hispanic EPESE.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated risk factors is described, using data from the Hispanic EPESE, the first large, representative study of older Mexican Americans.


METHODS
Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between depressive symptoms and sociodemographics, chronic health conditions, disability, and cultural factors.


RESULTS
Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression scale, 25.6% of the 2,823 subjects reported high symptom levels. Rates among women (31.9%) and particularly men (17.3%) were higher than has been typically reported for older Mexican Americans and older adults in general. Consistent with previous studies of older adults, gender, lack of insurance, financial strain, chronic health conditions, and disability were found to be associated with depressive symptoms. Several cultural factors were also associated with increased risk, including immigrant status, levels of acculturation and assimilation, health locus of control, and recency of immigration. An interaction between gender and immigrant status was found such that, in relation to subjects born in the United States, female immigrants were at significantly higher risk for depressive symptoms, whereas male immigrants were at lower risk.
Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA. sblack@utmb.edu
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Black
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Markides
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Miller
D000069:Acculturation; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology