Association between indicators of disability burden and subsequent depression among older persons.

Background: Disability is associated with depression in older persons, yet the effect of disability burden on the likelihood of being depressed is uncertain.

Methods: A total of 754 community-living persons, aged ≥70, underwent monthly assessments in four essential activities of daily living and assessments of depression (yes/no) every 18 months for up to 108 months. Within each 18-month person-interval, participants' disability burden was operationalized as none or any, and according to severity (none, mild, or severe) and chronicity (none, nonchronic, or chronic) given the highest level of severity or chronicity experienced during a given 18-month interval, respectively.

Inequality and the association between involuntary job loss and depressive symptoms.

Although socioeconomic status (SES) has been to shown to be associated with susceptibility to involuntary job loss as well as with health, the ways in which individual SES indicators may moderate the job loss-health association remain underexplored. Using data from the Americans' Changing Lives study, we estimate the ways in which the association between job loss and depressive symptoms depends on five aspects of SES: education, income, occupational prestige, wealth, and homeownership. Our findings indicate that higher SES prior to job loss is not uniformly associated with fewer depressive symptoms.

Changes in social support within the early recovery period and outcomes after acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: To examine changes in social support during early recovery after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and determine whether these changes influence outcomes within the first year.

Methods: Among 1951 AMI patients enrolled in a 19-center prospective study, we examined changes in social support between baseline (index hospitalization) and 1 month post-AMI to longitudinally assess their association with health status and depressive symptoms within the first year. We further examined whether 1-month support predicted outcomes independent of baseline support.

Caring for grieving family members: results from a national hospice survey.

Background: A founding principle of hospice is that the patient and family is the unit of care; however, we lack national information on services to family members. Although Medicare certification requires bereavement services be provided, reimbursement rates are not tied to the level or quality of care; therefore, limited financial incentives exist for hospice to provide more than a minimal benefit.

Objectives: To assess the scope and intensity of services provided to family members by hospice.

Adherence to risk factor management instructions after acute myocardial infarction: the role of emotional support and depressive symptoms.

Background: Emotional support and depression may influence adherence to risk factor management instructions after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but their role requires further investigation.

Purpose: To examine the longitudinal association between perceived emotional support and risk factor management adherence and assess depressive symptoms as a moderator of this association.

Methods: Among 2,202 AMI patients, we assessed adherence to risk factor management instructions over the first recovery year.

The prognostic role of cancer-specific beliefs among prostate cancer survivors.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between cancer-specific beliefs and survival among men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Methods: Based on data from a biracial cohort monitored for mortality for up to 15 years, we investigated the association between beliefs and survival among 251 men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1987 and 1990. We examined patients' beliefs related to efficacy of regular checkups for detection, potential negative treatment effects, and perceived curability of cancer.

Neighborhood- and individual-level socioeconomic variation in perceptions of racial discrimination.

Objective: In approaching the study of racial discrimination and health, the neighborhood- and individual-level antecedents of perceived discrimination need further exploration. We investigated the relationship between neighborhood- and individual-level socioeconomic position (SEP), neighborhood racial composition, and perceived racial discrimination in a cohort of African-American and White women age 40-79 from Connecticut, USA.

Design: The logistic regression analysis included 1249 women (39% African-American and 61% White).

The role of social support in health status and depressive symptoms after acute myocardial infarction: evidence for a stronger relationship among women.

Background: Prior studies have associated low social support (SS) with increased rehospitalization and mortality after acute myocardial infarction. However, relatively little is known about whether similar patterns exist for other outcomes, such as health status and depressive symptoms, and whether these patterns vary by sex.

Methods And Results: Using data from 2411 English- or Spanish-speaking patients with acute myocardial infarction enrolled in a 19-center prospective study, we examined the association of SS (low, moderate, high) with health status (angina, disease-specific quality of life, general physical and mental functioning) and depressive symptoms over the first year of recovery.

Effects of externally rated job demand and control on depression diagnosis claims in an industrial cohort.

This study examined whether externally rated job demand and control were associated with depression diagnosis claims in a heavy industrial cohort. The retrospective cohort sample consisted of 7,566 hourly workers aged 18-64 years who were actively employed at 11 US plants between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2003, and free of depression diagnosis claims during an initial 2-year run-in period. Logistic regression analysis was used to model the effect of tertiles of demand and control exposure on depression diagnosis claims.

Longitudinal association between self-rated health and timed gait among older persons.

Objective: We evaluated the longitudinal association between self-rated health (SRH) and timed gait, an indicator of lower extremity dysfunction, in a community-based sample of older persons.

Methods: Participants (N = 754) were evaluated at 18-month intervals for 72 months. SRH was categorized as Excellent/Very Good/Good and Fair/Poor.

Heritability of depressive symptoms: a case study using a multilevel approach.

We present a case study using a multilevel modeling approach to determine whether depressive symptoms are affected by genetic factors. Existing studies examining this question have focused on twins. The present study built on the literature by conducting a preliminary study of the heritability of depressive symptoms within extended families.

Days of delirium are associated with 1-year mortality in an older intensive care unit population.

Rationale: Delirium is a frequent occurrence in older intensive care unit (ICU) patients, but the importance of the duration of delirium in contributing to adverse long-term outcomes is unclear.

Objectives: To examine the association of the number of days of ICU delirium with mortality in an older patient population.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study in a 14-bed ICU in an urban acute care hospital.

Cancer-specific beliefs and survival in nonmetastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Associations between cancer-specific beliefs (beliefs) and survival have been observed among other cancer populations, but similar research in CRC patients is virtually nonexistent, especially in racially diverse populations. The relationship between beliefs and survival was investigated in a cohort of African Americans and non-Hispanic whites with newly diagnosed nonmetastatic CRC, followed for up to 15 years.

Association of major depression with subtypes of nicotine dependence found among adult daily smokers: a latent class analysis.

Nicotine dependence (ND) and major depression (MD) are highly prevalent disorders that frequently co-occur. Less is known about which aspects of ND are most strongly associated with MD. The present study was designed to determine if subtypes of smokers exist and differ in their risk of MD and lifetime MD symptoms.

Explaining the race difference in prostate cancer stage at diagnosis.

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in males in the United States, accounting for an estimated 186,320 new cases in 2008. There are striking racial or ethnic differences in prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States, with Black males 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed and 2.

When parents matter to their adult children: filial reliance associated with parents' depressive symptoms.

A neglected topic in aging depression research is the potential role of the parent-adult child relationship. In this study we examined whether adult children's reports of having relied upon parents for instrumental and expressive support are associated with parents' depressive symptoms. The sample included 304 parents (aged 50-72 years), matched to a randomly selected adult offspring, from the University of Southern California Longitudinal Study of Generations.

Does gender discrimination impact regular mammography screening? Findings from the race differences in screening mammography study.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACT Objective: To determine if gender discrimination, conceptualized as a negative life stressor, is a deterrent to adherence to mammography screening guidelines.

Methods: African American and white women (1451) aged 40-79 years who obtained an index screening mammogram at one of five urban hospitals in Connecticut between October 1996 and January 1998 were enrolled in this study. This logistic regression analysis includes the 1229 women who completed telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up (average 29.

Mammography screening of women in their 40s: impact of changes in screening guidelines.

Background: : In March 1997, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its recommended mammography screening interval for women ages 40-49 years from once every 1 to 2 years to once every year. At the same time, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which had previously not recommended routine screening of women in their 40s, began recommending screening at 1 to 2-year intervals. These events occurred during the data collection phase of a prospective study of mammography screening and, thereby, provided an unexpected opportunity to examine the potential influences of changing guidelines on women's beliefs about how frequently they should obtain screening exams.

Neighborhood-level socioeconomic predictors of nonadherence to mammography screening guidelines.

As neighborhood context is increasingly recognized as an important predictor of health outcomes and health behaviors, this analysis sought to determine the relationship between neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) and regular mammography screening behavior. One thousand four hundred fifty-one women ages 40 to 79 years who obtained an "index" screening mammogram at one of five urban hospitals in Connecticut between October 1996 and January 1998 were enrolled in this prospective study. The logistic regression analysis includes the 1,229 women [484 African-American (39%) and 745 White (61%)] who completed telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up (average 29.

Predicting readmission stroke type among blacks and whites in California.

Background: It is generally assumed that initial and recurrent strokes are of the same type, but data from South London, United Kingdom; Lausanne, Switzerland; and other studies suggest this may not be true for certain subtypes. In these studies, however, the number of recurrent strokes observed during the follow-up period was small, thereby limiting the ability of these studies to provide reliable estimates of stroke type concordance.

Methods: Using a large, diverse, inpatient database, this study sought to: (1) estimate the relative agreement (Cohen's kappa) between initial and recurrent stroke types for blacks and whites; and (2) develop a risk-adjusted logistic model for readmission stroke type, with the initial admission stroke type as the main predictor and race, other sociodemographic variables, and clinical and hospital characteristics as potential covariates.

Perceived racial discrimination and nonadherence to screening mammography guidelines: results from the race differences in the screening mammography process study.

The study objective was to determine whether perceived racial discrimination influenced nonadherence to screening mammography guidelines. Enrolled in this prospective study were 1,451 women aged 40-79 years who obtained an "index" screening mammogram at one of five urban hospitals in Connecticut between October 1996 and January 1998. This logistic regression analysis included 1,229 women (484 African American (39%), 745 White (61%)) who completed telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up (on average 29 months later).

Bereavement services for family caregivers: how often used, why, and why not.

Background: Bereavement services are central to high-quality end-of-life care, however, little is known about how frequently and why such bereavement services are used and not used. We examined family caregiver reports about how often they used bereavement services, predictors of their use, and reported reasons for not using bereavement services.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of family caregivers (n = 161) of patients with cancer enrolled with hospice between October 1999 and September 2001.

Adequacy of communicating results from screening mammograms to African American and White women.

Objective: We examined whether African American women were as likely as White women to receive the results of a recent mammogram and to self-report results that matched the mammography radiology report (i.e., were adequately communicated).

Religiousness and major depression among bereaved family caregivers: a 13-month follow-up study.

Objective: To examine the association between a multi-item measure of religiousness and major depressive disorder (MDD) in bereaved family caregivers of patients with cancer.

Design: A prospective longitudinal study of primary caregivers of consecutive patients (n = 175) with cancer enrolled in the largest hospice in Connecticut.

Results: Caregivers with a high religiousness summary score were significantly less likely to have MDD at the 13-month follow-up interview (OR = 0.

Perceived control and change in physical functioning after coronary artery bypass grafting: a prospective study.

We determined if perceived general and health-related control predicted change in physical functioning after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 1,038 patients. Control and physical functioning were assessed prior to hospital discharge and physical functioning also was assessed 6 weeks and 6 months later. The repeated measures outcome was modeled using a one-way analysis of covariance with interaction terms for General and Health-Related Control x Time.