Social Determinants of Depression Among Hispanic Women

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depression is the number one cause of disability in the world. Hispanic women are at a higher risk for depression than Caucasian and African American women. This is in part due to multiple social determinants of health that affect the individual, family, aggregates, and community. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the social determinants of depression among Hispanic women in South Florida. DESIGN: This is a secondary cross-sectional data analysis. A total of 280 Hispanic women from South Florida between 18 and 50 years of age were analyzed. RESULTS: Depression is prevalent among Hispanic women in South Florida (37.5%). Education, health status, and living with partner were significant predictors of depression in the sample. CONCLUSION: Development of a culturally tailored risk assessment tool that highlights the social determinants of depression in Hispanic women is essential, as it could be used as a standard practice in primary care and other appropriate settings.