Gillian L Marshall1, Roland J Thorpe2, Marino A Bruce3. 1. Social Work Program, University of Washington, 19000 Commerce Street, 98202, Tacoma, WA, United States. geegee@uw.edu. 2. Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Ste 708, 21205-1999, Baltimore, MD, United States. rthorpe@jhu.edu. 3. Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, University of Houston, 77204, Houston, TX, United States. mbruce@umc.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between three specific indicators of financial hardship (difficulty paying bills, food insecurity, reduced medication use due to cost) and depressive symptoms by race. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study using the Health and Retirement Study to analyze the data by conducting a logistic regression (N = 3014). RESULTS: When stratified by race, White participants who were food insecure had nearly a 3.0 higher odds of high depressive symptoms (95% CI: 1.59-5.51) and African Americans who took less medication due to cost had a 5.1 higher odds of reporting higher depressive symptoms (95% CI: 2.30-11.2) compared to those who did not report these hardships. CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights the important role expanded socioeconomic measures such as hardship play in the lives of older adult populations. It further elucidates the differences in the specific measures of hardship that impact older adults by race.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between three specific indicators of financial hardship (difficulty paying bills, food insecurity, reduced medication use due to cost) and depressive symptoms by race. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study using the Health and Retirement Study to analyze the data by conducting a logistic regression (N = 3014). RESULTS: When stratified by race, White participants who were food insecure had nearly a 3.0 higher odds of high depressive symptoms (95% CI: 1.59-5.51) and African Americans who took less medication due to cost had a 5.1 higher odds of reporting higher depressive symptoms (95% CI: 2.30-11.2) compared to those who did not report these hardships. CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights the important role expanded socioeconomic measures such as hardship play in the lives of older adult populations. It further elucidates the differences in the specific measures of hardship that impact older adults by race.
Authors: Kim M Kiely; Liana S Leach; Sarah C Olesen; Peter Butterworth Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2015-02-17 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Hector M González; William A Vega; David R Williams; Wassim Tarraf; Brady T West; Harold W Neighbors Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2010-01