@article{ref1,
title="The association between depressive symptoms and accumulation of stress among Black  men in the Health and Retirement Study",
journal="Innovation in aging",
year="2020",
author="Thorpe, Roland J. Jr and Cobb, Ryon and King, Keyonna and Bruce, Marino A. and Archibald, Paul and Jones, Harlan P. and Norris, Keith C. and Whitfield, Keith E. and Hudson, Darrell",
volume="4",
number="5",
pages="igaa047-igaa047",
abstract="BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Among the multiple factors posited to drive the health  inequities that black men experience, the fundamental role of stress in the  production of poor health is a key component. Allostatic load (AL) is considered to  be a byproduct of stressors related to cumulative disadvantage. Exposure to chronic  stress is associated with poorer mental health including depressive symptoms. Few  studies have investigated how AL contributes to depressive symptoms among black men. The purpose of the cross-sectional study was to examine the association between AL  and depressive symptoms among middle- to old age black men. RESEARCH DESIGN AND  METHODS: This project used the 2010 and 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study  enhanced face-to-face interview that included a biomarker assessment and  psychosocial questionnaire. Depressive symptoms, assessed by the endorsement of 3 or  more symptoms on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression 8-item scale, was  the outcome variable. The main independent variable, AL, score was calculated by  summing the number values that were in the high range for that particular biomarker  value scores ranging from 0 to 7. black men whose AL score was 3 or greater were  considered to be in the high AL group. Modified Poisson regression was used to  estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). <br><br>RESULTS: There was a larger proportion of black men in the high AL group who  reported depressive symptoms (30.0% vs. 20.0%) compared with black men in the low AL  group. After adjusting for age, education, income, drinking, and smoking status, the  prevalence of reporting 3 or more depressive symptoms was statistically significant  among black men in the high AL group (PR = 1.61 [95% CI: 1.20-2.17]) than black men  in the low AL group. <br><br>DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Exposure to chronic stress is  related to reporting 3 or more depressive symptoms among black men after controlling  for potential confounders. Improving the social and economic conditions for which  black men work, play, and pray is key to reducing stress, thereby potentially  leading to the reporting of fewer depressive symptoms.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2399-5300",
doi="10.1093/geroni/igaa047",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa047"
}