Citation

Hernandez R, Kershaw KN, Prohaska TR, Wang PC, Marquez DX, Sarkisian CA. J. Aging Health 2014; 27(3): 551-568.

Affiliation

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0898264314553211

PMID

25326129

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between perceived walkability-related neighborhood characteristics (e.g., traffic safety) and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older Latino adults.

METHOD: We used baseline, 12-month, and 24-month in-person interview data collected from Latinos aged ≥60 years participating in an exercise intervention at 27 senior centers (N = 570).

RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses, lower perceived neighborhood crime, indicative of greater neighborhood walkability, was associated with a lower odds of elevated symptoms of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.82, 0.996]; p =.04) after adjusting for demographic characteristics, linguistic acculturation, and medical comorbidities. Associations between Neighborhood Environment Walkability scales and incident depressive symptoms at 12- and/or 24-months were not statistically significant, but the point estimate for crime safety was consistent with cross-sectional findings (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = [0.64, 1.07]; p =.16), suggesting a protective effect for lower perceived neighborhood crime.

DISCUSSION: Lower perceived neighborhood crime is associated with reduced presence of elevated symptoms of depression in older Latinos.

Language: en