Racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms among middle-aged women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).
OBJECTIVE
We examined racial/ethnic differences in significant depressive symptoms among middle-aged women before and after adjustment for socioeconomic, health-related, and psychosocial characteristics.


METHODS
Racial/ethnic differences in unadjusted and adjusted prevalence of significant depressive symptoms (score >/= 16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression [CES-D] Scale) were assessed with univariate and multiple logistic regressions.


RESULTS
Twenty-four percent of the sample had a CES-D score of 16 or higher. Unadjusted prevalence varied by race/ethnicity (P <.0001). After adjustment for covariates, racial/ethnic differences overall were no longer significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Hispanic and African American women had the highest odds, and Chinese and Japanese women had the lowest odds, for a CES-D score of 16 or higher. This variation is in part because of health-related and psychosocial factors that are linked to socioeconomic status.
Bromberger
Joyce T
JT
University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 3811 O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. brombergerjt@upmc.edu
Harlow
Sioban
S
Avis
Nancy
N
Kravitz
Howard M
HM
Cordal
Adriana
A
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D002979:Climacteric / Q000208:ethnology*; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology