Does cultural assimilation influence prevalence and presentation of depressive symptoms in older Japanese American men? The Honolulu-Asia aging study.

Objective: : Sociocultural factors have been implicated in affecting prevalence, incidence, and diagnosis of depression but previous studies have included heterogeneous ethnic populations. We studied the influence of cultural assimilation on the prevalence and presentation of depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese American men.

Method: : This analysis was based on 3,139 Japanese American men aged 71-93 years who were participants in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study between 1991 and 1993.