@article {11755, title = {The role of frailty in the association between depression and fall risk among older adults}, journal = {Aging \& Mental Health}, volume = {26}, year = {2022}, pages = {1805-1812}, abstract = {Objectives Although there is a recognized association between depression and greater fall risk among older adults, the mechanisms explaining this association are unclear. This study evaluated the role of frailty, a common geriatric syndrome, in determining greater risk of falls among older adults with depression.Method We used longitudinal data from three biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 2010?2014). The sample included community-dwelling survey respondents age >= 65 who participated in objective physiological measures. Major Depression (MD) was measured using Composite International Diagnostic Interview for depression short form. Frailty was measured using criteria outlined in the frailty phenotype model. Causal mediation analysis was used to differentiate the direct effect of depression and indirect effect mediated by frailty on falls, fall injuries, and multiple falls.Results Major depression was associated with significantly greater odds of experiencing a fall (OR: 1.91; 95\% CI: 1.31, 2.77), fall injury (OR: 1.86; 95\% CI: 1.17, 2.95), and multiple falls (OR: 2.26; 95\% CI: 1.52, 3.37) over a two-year period. Frailty was a significant mediator of the effects of depression on falls and multiple falls, accounting for approximately 18.9\% and 21.3\% of the total effects, respectively. We found no evidence of depression-frailty interaction. Sensitivity analyses showed that results were robust to unmeasured confounding and alternative operationalizations of depression.Conclusion Frailty explains a significant proportion of increased likelihood of falls among older adults with depression. Treatment and management of frailty symptoms may be an important components of fall prevention among older adults with depression.}, keywords = {Causal mediation analysis, Epidemiology, falls and mobility problems}, isbn = {1360-7863}, doi = {10.1080/13607863.2021.1950616}, author = {Matthew C. Lohman and Briana Mezuk and Amanda J Fairchild and Nicholas V Resciniti and Anwar T Merchant} } @article {8568, title = {The relationship between childhood poverty, military service, and later life depression among men: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {J Affect Disord}, volume = {206}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Dec}, pages = {1-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Childhood poverty has been associated with depression in adulthood, but whether this relationship extends to later life major depression (MD) or is modified by military service is unclear.

METHODS: Data come from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 wave, a longitudinal, nationally representative study of older adults. Men with data on military service and childhood poverty were included (N=6330). Childhood poverty was assessed by four indicators (i.e., parental unemployment, residential instability) experienced before age 16. Military service was categorized as veteran versus civilian, and during draft versus all-volunteer (after 1973) eras. Past year MD was defined by the Composite International Diagnostic Inventory.

RESULTS: Four in ten men ever served, with 13.7\% in the all-volunteer military. Approximately 12\% of civilians, 8\% draft era and 24\% all-volunteer era veterans had MD. Childhood poverty was associated with higher odds of MD (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.38, 95\% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.32-4.32) and higher odds of military service (OR: 2.58, 95\% CI: 1.58-4.21). Military service was marginally associated with MD (OR: 1.28, 95\% CI: 0.98-1.68) and did not moderate the association between childhood poverty and MD.

LIMITATIONS: Self-report data is subject to recall bias. The HRS did not assess childhood physical and emotional abuse, or military combat exposure.

CONCLUSIONS: Men raised in poverty had greater odds of draft and all-volunteer military service. Early-life experiences, independent of military service, appear associated with greater odds of MD. Assessing childhood poverty in service members may identify risk for depression in later life.

}, keywords = {Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events, Aged, Depressive Disorder, Major, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Military Personnel, Odds Ratio, Poverty, Self Report, United States, Veterans}, issn = {1573-2517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.018}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27455351}, author = {Bareis, Natalie and Briana Mezuk} }