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The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Advance Access originally published online on January 29, 2009
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2009 64B(2):247-251; doi:10.1093/geronb/gbn016
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Urban Neighborhood Context and Change in Depressive Symptoms in Late Life

Richard G. Wight1, Janet R. Cummings2, Arun S. Karlamangla3 and Carol S. Aneshensel1

1 Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles
2 Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles
3 Division of Geriatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles

Address correspondence to Richard G. Wight, PhD, Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Box 951772, 650 Young Drive South, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772. Email: rwight{at}ucla.edu


  Abstract

Objectives: This study examines associations between urban neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics and change over time in late-life depressive symptoms.

Methods: Survey data are from three waves (1993, 1995, and 1998) of the Study of Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old, a U.S. national probability sample of noninstitutionalized persons aged 70 years or older in 1993. Neighborhoods are 1990 U.S. Census tracts. Hierarchical linear regression is used to estimate multilevel models.

Results: The average change over time in depressive symptoms varies significantly across urban neighborhoods. Change in depressive symptoms is significantly associated with neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage and ethnic composition in unadjusted models but not in models that control for individual-level characteristics.

Conclusions: Findings indicate that apparent neighborhood-level effects on change in depressive symptoms over time among urban-dwelling older adults reflect, for the most part, differences in characteristics of the neighborhood residents.

Key Words: Aging • Depresssive symptoms • Longitudinal • Urban neighborhood context

Received July 23, 2008; Accepted October 21, 2008

Decision Editor: Kenneth F. Ferraro, PhD


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