Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-2015
Publisher
Wiley
Source Publication
Public Health Nursing
Source ISSN
0737-1209
Abstract
Objective
Although increased frequency of physical activity is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in African‐Americans, most studies do not focus on a specific type of activity. Identifying the activity can provide helpful information for designing interventions that focus on depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the odds of depressive symptoms in relation to walking in African‐Americans.
Design and Sample
A secondary analysis was performed on the National Survey of American Life. The sample was made up of community‐dwelling African‐American women (n = 1,903) and men (n = 1,075) who did not meet the DSM‐IV‐TR criteria for depression.
Measures
Walking was measured by self‐reported frequency (i.e., never, rarely, sometimes, often). Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Logistic regression for complex samples was used to examine the odds of depressive symptoms in relation to walking.
Results
Women who reported often walking had lower odds for depressive symptoms than women who reported never walking (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.38–0.82). Walking frequency was not related to depressive symptoms in men.
Conclusions
Walking frequency is a modifiable risk factor for elevated depressive symptoms in African‐American women.
Recommended Citation
Torres, Elisa R.; Sampselle, Carolyn M.; Neighbors, Harold W.; Ronis, David L.; and Gretebeck, Kimberlee A., "Depressive Symptoms and Walking in African‐Americans" (2015). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 871.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/871
Comments
Accepted version. Public Health Nursing, Vol. 32, No. 5 (September/October 2015): 381-387. DOI. © 2015 Wiley. Used with permission.
Kimberlee Gretebeck was affiliated with the University of Wisconsin – Madison at the time of publication.