Citation

Ivey SL, Kealey M, Kurtovich E, Hunter RH, Prohaska TR, Bayles CM, Satariano WA. Aging Ment. Health 2014; 19(8): 713-722.

Affiliation

a Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health , University of California , Berkeley , CA , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13607863.2014.962006

PMID

25316114

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We explored relationships between depressive symptoms and neighborhood environment measures including traffic safety, crime, social capital, and density of businesses in community-dwelling older adults from four different regions of the United States.

METHOD: The Healthy Aging Research Network walking study is a cross-sectional study of 884 adults aged 65+, which included a 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale of depressive symptoms, demographics, self-reported neighborhood perceptions, and objective neighborhood data.

RESULTS: After adjusting for individual covariates, reports of neighborhood crime, unsafe traffic, and unwillingness of neighbors to help each other were significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms among participants.

CONCLUSION: This research suggests an association between self-reported depressive symptoms and the social and built environment; examining causal association requires additional longitudinal research in diverse populations of older adults.

Language: en