Acculturation and depressive symptoms in Hispanic older adults: does perceived ethnic density moderate their relationship?

The negative impact of low acculturation on mental health in Hispanic older adults is widely known. The current study examined whether this association varied by a perceived density of people with same racial/ethnic backgrounds in neighborhoods. We hypothesized that the negative impact of low acculturation on mental health would be pronounced when they lived in neighborhoods with a low density of Hispanics. Using data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (n = 1,267), hierarchical regression models of depressive symptoms were estimated with sets of predictors: (1) demographic variables, (2) acculturation, (3) perceived density of Hispanics in neighborhoods, and (4) an interaction between acculturation and perceived density of Hispanics. Supporting the hypothesis, the impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms was found to be moderated by the perceived density of Hispanics in neighborhoods. Findings suggest the importance of neighborhood characteristics in the lives of immigrant older adults.