Inequalities in elevated depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults by rural childhood residence: The important role of education.

TitleInequalities in elevated depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults by rural childhood residence: The important role of education.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsMurchland, AR, Eng, CW, Casey, JA, Torres, JM, Mayeda, ER
JournalInternational Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
ISSN Number1099-1166
KeywordsDepressive symptoms, Education, Place of residence, Rural Settings
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To quantify inequalities in the prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms by rural childhood residence and the extent to which childhood socioeconomic conditions and educational attainment contribute to this disparity.

METHODS: We identified the prevalence of depressive symptoms among U.S.-born adults ages ≥50 years in the 1998-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n=16,022). We compared prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms (>4/8 symptoms) by rural versus non-rural childhood residence (self-report) and the extent to which own education mediated this disparity. We used generalized estimating equations and marginal standardization to calculate predicted probabilities of elevated depressive symptoms.

RESULTS: In age, race/ethnicity, and sex-adjusted models, rural childhood residence was associated with elevated depressive symptoms (OR=1.20; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.29; marginal predicted probability 10.5% for rural and 8.9% for non-rural childhood residence). Adjusting for U.S. Census birth region and parental education attenuated this association (OR=1.07; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.15; marginal predicted probability 9.9% for rural and 9.3% for non-rural). After additional adjustment for own education, rural childhood residence was not associated with elevated depressive symptoms (OR=0.94; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.01; marginal predicted probability 9.2% for rural and 9.8% for non-rural).

CONCLUSIONS: Rural childhood residence was associated with elevated depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults; birth region, parental education, and own education appear to contribute to this disparity.

DOI10.1002/gps.5176
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31318472?dopt=Abstract

Alternate JournalInt J Geriatr Psychiatry
Citation Key10125
PubMed ID31318472
PubMed Central IDPMC7060021
Grant ListR00 AG053410 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
RF1 AG055486 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R00AG053410 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32 AG049663 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32AG049663 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
RF1AG055486 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K01AG056602 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K01 AG056602 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States