A comparison of the frequencies of risk factors for depression in older black and white participants in a study of indicated prevention.
BACKGROUND
To compare the frequencies of risk factors, we describe risks for depression as a function of race among consecutively admitted participants in a randomized clinical trial of indicated depression prevention in later life.


METHODS
Seventy-two black and 143 white participants were screened for risk factors for depression.


RESULTS
Black participants were more likely to have fewer years of education and lower household income. They were more likely to be obese, live alone, experience functional disability, have a history of alcohol and drug abuse, and have lower scores on the Mini-mental State Examination and the Executive Interview (EXIT). White participants were not found to have greater prevalence or higher mean score on any risk factor. On average, black participants experienced approximately one more risk factor than white participants (t(213) = 3.32, p = 0.0011).


CONCLUSIONS
In our sample, black participants had higher frequencies of eight risk factors for depression and a greater mean number of risk factors compared to white participants.
Sriwattanakomen
Roy
R
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
McPherron
Jesse
J
Chatman
Jamie
J
Morse
Jennifer Q
JQ
Martire
Lynn M
LM
Karp
Jordan F
JF
Houck
Patricia R
PR
Bensasi
Salem
S
Houle
Jill
J
Stack
Jacqueline A
JA
Woods
Mattie
M
Block
Bruce
B
Thomas
Stephen B
SB
Quinn
Sandra
S
Reynolds
Charles F
CF
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People