title: Effects of depressive symptoms on health behavior practices among older adults with vision loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the interface between visual impairment and depressive symptoms on health behaviors, self-care, and social participation among adults ages 65 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors analyzed data from the 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey on visual impairment and depressive symptoms for 49,278 adults ages 65 and older, comparing visually impaired adults (n = 8,787) with and without depressive symptoms with a reference group of adults with neither condition (n = 3,136) for outcome measures: physical health, health behaviors, and difficulties with self-care and social participation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adults with visual impairment and severe depressive symptoms were more likely than adults with neither condition to smoke (14.9%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.6), be obese (28.2%, AOR = 1.9), be physically inactive (80.5%, AOR = 3.0), have fair-poor health (76.0%, AOR = 26.5), and have difficulties with self-care (27.9%, AOR = 11.8) and social participation (52.1%, AOR = 10.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older visually impaired adults with depressive symptoms are vulnerable to health decline and further disablement without timely interventions that target smoking cessation, healthy eating, and increased physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. gbj4@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Gwyn C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Barry W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Rovner
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Crews
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Danielson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D001766:Blindness / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000523:psychology*