title: Association of socio-demographic factors and parental education with depressive symptoms among older African Americans and Caribbean Blacks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic variation in the relationship between individual socio-demographic factors, parental educational level, and late-life depressive symptoms in older African Americans and Caribbean Blacks.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of American Life. A subsample of older African Americans (N = 837) and Caribbean Blacks (N = 271) was analyzed using multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings suggest differences in predictors of depressive symptoms for the two ethnic groups. Among older African Americans, lower educational attainment and lower income were predictive risk factors for higher depressive symptoms. Findings among older Caribbean Blacks suggest that nativity and income were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. This study did not find support for any association between parental education and late-life depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study adds new information by considering ethnic variation in an examination of depressive symptoms in older Black Americans. The results contribute to the growing awareness of the older Caribbean Black population in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. gillian.marshall@case.edu
authors.forename: Gillian L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Nancy R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Hooyman
authors.forename: Karl G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Tessa C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Rue
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology