269804 Predictors of Depressive Symptoms Among Urban Low Income African American Mothers of Children with Asthma

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 11:20 AM - 11:45 AM

Joan Kub, PhD PHCNS, BC , Department of Community Public Health, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Melissa Bellin, PhD, MSW, LCSW , Chair, Health Specialization, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD
Cassia Land, MS , School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Jennifer Walker , School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Arlene Butz, ScD, RN, CPNP , Harriet Lane Children's Health Bldg, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Background: High depressive symptoms in urban mothers of children with asthma have been found in previous studies. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship of stressors (life stress, asthma stress, feeling abused) and neighborhood characteristics to maternal depressive symptoms. Methods: Data were collected from caregivers of children with poorly controlled asthma enrolled in a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of an educational and advocacy intervention. Interviews were completed at baseline six months post baseline with 266 mothers using standardized measures: Center for Epidemiologic Studies- Depression (CES-D), a horizontal Visual Analogue Scale (1-10) for daily stress and daily asthma stress, a single item on feeling abused, and neighborhood collective efficacy that assessed social cohesion and informal social control. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results: Children were primarily African American (95.8%), with a mean maternal age of 31. The mean daily stress rating was 5.5 (SD=3.12) and asthmatic stress rating was 3.68 (SD=3.45) while 29% reported high depressive symptoms (>16). Significant bivariate relationships between stressors, collective efficacy, and depressive symptoms were found. In the multivariate regression model education at the college level or above (Odds ratio: .375) and more general daily life stressors (Odds Ratio: 1.68) were associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusions and Implications: Daily life stress rather than asthma-related stress and higher education were associated with maternal depression. Comprehensive asthma care necessitates attention to contextual factors influencing caregiver psychological distress. Future research should target interventions addressing maternal stress.

Learning Areas:
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe predictors of depressive symptoms in urban mothers of children with asthma 2) Discuss the role of contextual factors in predicting depressive symptoms. 3) Discuss the relevance of findings for public health nursing.

Keywords: Depression, Adult and Child Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified because I am a nurse educator and researcher at John Hopkins University. For the past six years, I have conducted research on depressive symptoms among urban low income African American mothers of children with asthma.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.