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José R. Rodríguez, MD, MPH, PhD, Mariel Dávila, MS, and Priscille Joglar, MS. Carlos Albizu University, P.O. Box 9023711, Old San Juan Station, San Juan, PR 00902, N/A, jrodriguez@sju.albizu.edu
Health statistics had demonstrated that more than 50% of elderly individuals are at high risk to develop hypertension due to stressful life conditions (Harris, 1991), but the exact relationship between depression and hypertension in the Puerto Rican geriatric population has not yet been explored. The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between depressive symptomatology and the development of heart disease in Hispanic/Puerto Rican elderly individuals and also to assess the validity of the Spanish translation of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for this population. A sample of 410 Hispanic men and women aged 65 years and older were drawn probabilistically from all the residents in independent residential housing projects for elderly individuals in Puerto Rico. The BDI and a demographic data questionnaire were administered individually to all the participants. Three quantitative blood pressure measures were obtained by an automatic commercial sphygmomanometer. A Cronbach's alpha of .89 indicated an adequate internal consistency of the BDI. A factor analysis with Varimax rotation yielded four factors accounting for 35% of total variance. Our analyses revealed an inverse, low, and not significant correlation between depression and systolic pressure (r = -.025, p = .61). Also, we found a direct, low, and not significant correlation between depression and diastolic pressure (r = .032, p = .52). These results suggest that depression alone is not associated with an increased risk for high blood pressure in Puerto Rican elderly living in independent residential housing projects.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Hispanic, Aging
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.