308127
Influence of Perceived Discrimination on Depression in Latinos in the Midwest
A growing body of research is examining the role of discrimination in health disparities. Previous studies have linked perceived discrimination to poorer mental health outcomes, including depression in diverse populations. Few studies have examined the prevalence of perceived discrimination and its association with depression in Latino populations in the Midwest, a region which between 2000 and 2010 experienced a significant increase in numbers. This study examines the prevalence of and association of perceived discrimination and self-reported depression in Spanish speaking Latinos in the Midwest.
Methodology: We measured perceived discrimination using a nine-item discrimination scale and measured self-reported depression using the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System question on depression in a cross-sectional Spanish language survey of 399 participants. The sample was drawn from Spanish speaking adult Hispanics accessing community health centers in rural and urban Nebraska. Fisher’s exact test was used to look at the association of perceived discrimination and depression. Logistic regression was used to determine if perceived discrimination was predictive of depression after adjusting for age, gender, marital status, smoking and education.
Results: The prevalence of perceived discrimination of Latinos was 67%. 30% of respondents who experienced discrimination had a diagnosis of depression compared to 14% of respondents who indicated they did not experience discrimination (p=0.0005). Perceived discrimination was a significant predictor of depression after adjustment for known risk factors (OR=3.2, p=0.0002).
Conclusion:
Our findings support results from previous studies linking perceived discrimination to worse mental health outcomes.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and culturePublic health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the prevalence of and association of perceived discrimination and self-reported depression in Spanish speaking Latinos in the Midwest
Keyword(s): Latinos, Depression
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator of the study examining the prevalence of perceived discrimination and its association with depression of adult Spanish speaking Latinos accessing community health centers in rural and urban Nebraska. I am an associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health.
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.