Relationship between depression and walking behavior in older Latinos: The "Caminemos!" study

Latino seniors are less likely to report engagement in physical activity (PA) when compared to whites. About 18% of the US senior population experiences some form of depressive symptomatology, which may help explain the low levels of participation in PA. The aims of the current study are to examine the relationship between depression and level of PA in a sample of community-dwelling older Latinos, and to examine whether individuals with baseline depression are less likely to increase PA during follow-up. We analyzed baseline, 1-month, 12-month and 24-month in-person interview and pedometer data collected from Latinos aged >=60 years participating in an exercise intervention (Caminemos!) at 27 senior centers. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and PA was measured using the Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS) and pedometer data. Using t-tests, chi-squared tests, and a multivariate model, we will compare PA levels between participants with and without depression. Baseline characteristics of this sample (n=572) include: mean age of 73 years; 77 % female; 83% with incomes below $20,000; and 59% with less than an 8th grade education. Preliminary examination of the baseline data indicates that 27.6% screened positive for depression. When using continuous pedometer data as the outcome of interest, depressed individuals were less likely to engage in walking behavior when compared to their non-depressed counterparts (p=0.004), independent of basic demographic variables. Those with depression had significantly lower scores on all three summary indices of the YPAS; Total Time (p=0.000), Energy Expenditure (p=0.000), and Activity Dimensions (p=0.017).