Current depression among women in California according to residence in the California—Mexico border region / Depresión actual en las mujeres en California según el lugar de residencia en la región fronteriza entre California y México

ABSTRACT

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of current depression; examine the relationshipbetween current depression and immigration, health status, health care access, and healthbehaviors; and assess differences by California–Mexico border region (Imperial and San DiegoCounties) among women in California.Methods. Using a cross-sectional, representative sample of adult women from the CaliforniaWomen’s Health Survey (n = 13 454), a statewide telephone survey, prevalence of currentdepression and predictors of depression were examined in California and according to borderregion residence. Depression was assessed with the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire.Results. The prevalence of current depression for women in California was 12.0%. It wassimilar in the border (13.0%) and the nonborder (11.9%) regions. Odds of current depressionin women were lower among recent immigrants (< 5 years or 5 to < 10 years in the UnitedStates) than in women born in the United States and in immigrants who had been living inthe United States for 10 to < 15 years or longer (P < 0.05). Odds ratios for current depressionand health status, health care access, and binge drinking were larger in the border region thanoutside the border region.Conclusions. Similar prevalences of current depression were observed among those wholive in the border region of California and in those who do not, but the relationship betweendepression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking varied by border regionresidence. Ideally, future surveillance of depression and its predictors along the Mexico–California border will be conducted binationally to inform interventions and tracking such asthe Healthy Border Program’s objectives.