Jasneth Asher Mullings1, Affette Michelle McCaw-Binns1, Carol Archer2, Rainford Wilks3. 1. University of the West Indies at Mona, Mona, Jamaica, jasneth2@gmail.com. 2. Faculty of the Built Environment, University of Technology, Kingston, Jamaica. 3. Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Epidemiology Research Unit, University of the West Indies at Mona, Mona, Jamaica.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the mental health effects of the urban neighborhood on men and women in Jamaica and the implications for urban planning and social development. METHODS: A cross-sectional household sample of 2 848 individuals 15-74 years of age obtained from the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2007-2008 was analyzed. Secondary analysis was undertaken by developing composite scores to describe observer recorded neighborhood features, including infrastructure, amenities/services, physical conditions, community socioeconomic status, and green spaces around the home. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Bivariate and multivariate methods were used to explore the associations among gender, neighborhood factors, and risk of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: While no associations were found among rural residents, urban neighborhoods were associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms. Among males, residing in a neighborhood with poor infrastructure increased risk; among females, residing in an informal community/unplanned neighborhood increased risk. CONCLUSIONS: The urban neighborhood contributes to the risk of depression symptomatology in Jamaica, with different environmental stressors affecting men and women. Urban and social planners need to consider the physical environment when developing health interventions in urban settings, particularly in marginalized communities.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the mental health effects of the urban neighborhood on men and women in Jamaica and the implications for urban planning and social development. METHODS: A cross-sectional household sample of 2 848 individuals 15-74 years of age obtained from the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2007-2008 was analyzed. Secondary analysis was undertaken by developing composite scores to describe observer recorded neighborhood features, including infrastructure, amenities/services, physical conditions, community socioeconomic status, and green spaces around the home. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Bivariate and multivariate methods were used to explore the associations among gender, neighborhood factors, and risk of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: While no associations were found among rural residents, urban neighborhoods were associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms. Among males, residing in a neighborhood with poor infrastructure increased risk; among females, residing in an informal community/unplanned neighborhood increased risk. CONCLUSIONS: The urban neighborhood contributes to the risk of depression symptomatology in Jamaica, with different environmental stressors affecting men and women. Urban and social planners need to consider the physical environment when developing health interventions in urban settings, particularly in marginalized communities.
Authors: Simon Coulombe; Sophie Meunier; Lyne Cloutier; Nathalie Auger; Bernard Roy; Gilles Tremblay; Francine de Montigny; Isabelle Gaboury; François-Olivier Bernard; Brigitte Lavoie; Harold Dion; Janie Houle Journal: Am J Mens Health Date: 2016-01-11
Authors: Catherine R Brown; Ian R Hambleton; Natasha Sobers-Grannum; Shawn M Hercules; Nigel Unwin; E Nigel Harris; Rainford Wilks; Marlene MacLeish; Louis Sullivan; Madhuvanti M Murphy Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2017-06-15 Impact factor: 3.295