141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

278652
Association of depressive symptoms and socioeconomic position among haitian women living in post-earthquake camps

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 10:50 AM - 11:10 AM

Linda Marc, ScD, MPH , Department of Biostatistics and Division of Policy, Translation and Leadership Development, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Astride Desrosiers, MD, MPH , Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Nathalie Coicou , Reussir, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Robert Brennan, EdD , FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, Boston, MA
RusselAnne Arlene Vallie, MSW , Behavioral Science Research Institute, Inc., Boston, MA
Whitney Henderson, MSW , Division of Policy, Translation and Leadership Development, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Marie-André Pierre-Victor, LICSW , Codman Square Health Center, Dorchester, MA
Joanna Dabao , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Marguerite Jean , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Abdul Jethro James Guillaume , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Vlatko Avramovsk , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Heidi Resnick, PhD , National Crime Victims Center (NCVC), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Janet St. Lawrence, PhD , Mississippi State University, Meridian, MS
Marcia A. Testa, MPH PhD , Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, MA
PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between multiple measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) and depressive symptoms amongst internally displaced (IDP) Haitian women living in post-earthquake camps.

STUDY POPULATION/DATA: Using a cross-sectional design, female heads of households (N=541) were selected from a stratified random sample of 130,349 IDP registered households following the earthquake. The database was established through a partnership between an agency of the United Nations, a research organization and academic institution, who received endorsement from the Haitian Government to conduct a survey post-earthquake.

METHODS: Female IDPs with depressive symptoms were identified using a translated, Haitian-Creole version of PHQ-9. Measures of SEP include: education, income, employment, and a poverty score validated for Haiti. Multivariate linear regression models were adjusted for age, co-habitation, parental status, and self-reported HIV status.

RESULTS: Mean age is 36.3 years, 53.5% cohabitate with a male partner, 96.3% have at least 1 child, and 4.0% self-report HIV seropositivity. Depressive symptom mean score is 9.7 [0 (lowest) to 27 (greatest)]. In an adjusted model only the poverty score has a statistically significant association, showing that female IDPs with lower poverty (Beta= -0.04;p=0.042, 95% CI [-0.088 to -0.001]) and younger age (Beta = -0.08, p <0.001, 95% CI [-0.121 to -0.038]) have fewer depressive symptoms than their counterparts.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Findings show the importance of using multiple measures of socioeconomic position in the prediction of depressive symptoms amongst IDPs, and findings support the notion that relative level, rather than the absolute level of poverty contributes to depressive symptoms amongst women.

Learning Areas:
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms amongst Haitian women living in post-earthquake camps Describe the socioeconomic position of Haitian women living in post-earthquake camps Examine the association between depressive symptoms and socioeconomic position amongst Haitian women living in post-earthquake camps

Keywords: Depression, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator of the current study entitled, Post-Disaster Sexual Violence in Haiti. Amongst my scientific interests I have investigated the barriers to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis amongst female victims of sexual violence in Haiti.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.