The Association between Acculturation and Depression among Latino Immigrants: A Secondary Data Analysis of NHANES

Abstract

Background: The growing Latino immigrant population in the U.S. has sparked interest in understanding their mental health, particularly depression. This study examines the relationship between acculturation and depression among Latino immigrants.Methods: Using data from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this study assessed depression among 1,369 Latino immigrants aged 20-80 years. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), categorizing severity as none-minimal (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), moderately severe (15-19), and severe (20-27). Logistic regression models analyzed the association between depression (moderate/severe vs. none/mild) and factors like age, gender, marital status, income, insurance, country of birth, and acculturation (length of U.S. residency and primary language spoken at home). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated.Results: Among the 1,369 participants (48.28% males; 51.72% females), depression severity was: none-minimal (72.90%), mild (17.75%), moderate (6.28%), moderately severe (2.26%), and severe (0.80%). Being female was significantly associated with higher odds of depression (aOR=1.964; 95%CI=1.318-2.927; p=0.0009). Widowed/divorced/separated individuals had higher odds in univariate analysis (OR=1.874; 95%CI=1.173-2.994; p=0.0086), but not in multivariable analysis (aOR=1.303; 95%CI=0.678-2.502; p=0.4267). Living below the poverty line showed higher odds in both univariate (OR=1.406; 95%CI=0.959-2.062; p=0.0809) and multivariable analyses (aOR=1.443; 95%CI=0.934-2.232; p=0.0987). Higher education levels were associated with reduced odds of depression in multivariable analysis (aOR=0.587; 95%CI=0.358-1.023; p=0.0348). Acculturation measures were not statistically significant predictors.Conclusions: Gender, marital status, and income significantly impact depression among Latino immigrants. Acculturation factors showed trends but were not statistically significant.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p