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Urban Neighborhood Context and Change in Depressive Symptoms in Late Life
Richard Wight, University of California, Los Angeles
Janet Cummings, University of California, Los Angeles
Arun Karlamangla, University of California, Los Angeles
Carol Aneshensel, University of California, Los Angeles
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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 (AHEAD), a U.S. national probability sample of
noninstitutionalized persons aged 70 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.
Discussion. 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.
SUGGESTED CITATION:
Richard Wight, Janet Cummings, Arun Karlamangla, and Carol Aneshensel,
"Urban Neighborhood Context and Change in Depressive Symptoms in Late Life"
(December 8, 2008).
California Center for Population Research.
On-Line Working Paper Series.
Paper CCPR-026-08.
http://repositories.cdlib.org/ccpr/olwp/CCPR-026-08
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