Abstract
Background Neighbourhood greenness or vegetative presence has been associated with indicators of health and well-being, but its relationship to depression in older adults has been less studied. Understanding the role of environmental factors in depression may inform and complement traditional depression interventions, including both prevention and treatment.Aims This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood greenness and depression diagnoses among older adults in Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA.Method Analyses examined 249 405 beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, a USA federal health insurance programme for older adults. Participants were 65 years and older, living in the same Miami location across 2 years (2010-2011). Multilevel analyses assessed the relationship between neighbourhood greenness, assessed by average block-level normalised difference vegetative index via satellite imagery, and depression diagnosis using USA Medicare claims data. Covariates were individual age, gender, race/ethnicity, number of comorbid health conditions and neighbourhood median household income.Results Over 9% of beneficiaries had a depression diagnosis. Higher levels of greenness were associated with lower odds of depression, even after adjusting for demographics and health comorbidities. When compared with individuals residing in the lowest tertile of greenness, individuals from the middle tertile (medium greenness) had 8% lower odds of depression (odds ratio 0.92; 95% CI 0.88, 0.96; P = 0.0004) and those from the high tertile (high greenness) had 16% lower odds of depression (odds ratio 0.84; 95% CI 0.79, 0.88; P < 0.0001).Conclusions Higher levels of greenness may reduce depression odds among older adults. Increasing greenery - even to moderate levels - may enhance individual-level approaches to promoting wellness.Declaration of interest None.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 476-480 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | British Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 215 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2019 |
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Keywords
- Depressive disorders
- greenness
- neighbourhood
- older adults
- prevention
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Neighbourhood greenness and depression among older adults. / Perrino, Tatiana; Lombard, Joanna; Rundek, Tatjana; Wang, Kefeng; Dong, Chuanhui; Gutierrez, Carolina Marinovic; Toro, Matthew; Byrne, Margaret M.; Nardi, Maria I.; Kardys, Jack; Szapocznik, José; Brown, Scott C.
In: British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 215, No. 2, 01.08.2019, p. 476-480.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Neighbourhood greenness and depression among older adults
AU - Perrino, Tatiana
AU - Lombard, Joanna
AU - Rundek, Tatjana
AU - Wang, Kefeng
AU - Dong, Chuanhui
AU - Gutierrez, Carolina Marinovic
AU - Toro, Matthew
AU - Byrne, Margaret M.
AU - Nardi, Maria I.
AU - Kardys, Jack
AU - Szapocznik, José
AU - Brown, Scott C.
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - Background Neighbourhood greenness or vegetative presence has been associated with indicators of health and well-being, but its relationship to depression in older adults has been less studied. Understanding the role of environmental factors in depression may inform and complement traditional depression interventions, including both prevention and treatment.Aims This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood greenness and depression diagnoses among older adults in Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA.Method Analyses examined 249 405 beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, a USA federal health insurance programme for older adults. Participants were 65 years and older, living in the same Miami location across 2 years (2010-2011). Multilevel analyses assessed the relationship between neighbourhood greenness, assessed by average block-level normalised difference vegetative index via satellite imagery, and depression diagnosis using USA Medicare claims data. Covariates were individual age, gender, race/ethnicity, number of comorbid health conditions and neighbourhood median household income.Results Over 9% of beneficiaries had a depression diagnosis. Higher levels of greenness were associated with lower odds of depression, even after adjusting for demographics and health comorbidities. When compared with individuals residing in the lowest tertile of greenness, individuals from the middle tertile (medium greenness) had 8% lower odds of depression (odds ratio 0.92; 95% CI 0.88, 0.96; P = 0.0004) and those from the high tertile (high greenness) had 16% lower odds of depression (odds ratio 0.84; 95% CI 0.79, 0.88; P < 0.0001).Conclusions Higher levels of greenness may reduce depression odds among older adults. Increasing greenery - even to moderate levels - may enhance individual-level approaches to promoting wellness.Declaration of interest None.
AB - Background Neighbourhood greenness or vegetative presence has been associated with indicators of health and well-being, but its relationship to depression in older adults has been less studied. Understanding the role of environmental factors in depression may inform and complement traditional depression interventions, including both prevention and treatment.Aims This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood greenness and depression diagnoses among older adults in Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA.Method Analyses examined 249 405 beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, a USA federal health insurance programme for older adults. Participants were 65 years and older, living in the same Miami location across 2 years (2010-2011). Multilevel analyses assessed the relationship between neighbourhood greenness, assessed by average block-level normalised difference vegetative index via satellite imagery, and depression diagnosis using USA Medicare claims data. Covariates were individual age, gender, race/ethnicity, number of comorbid health conditions and neighbourhood median household income.Results Over 9% of beneficiaries had a depression diagnosis. Higher levels of greenness were associated with lower odds of depression, even after adjusting for demographics and health comorbidities. When compared with individuals residing in the lowest tertile of greenness, individuals from the middle tertile (medium greenness) had 8% lower odds of depression (odds ratio 0.92; 95% CI 0.88, 0.96; P = 0.0004) and those from the high tertile (high greenness) had 16% lower odds of depression (odds ratio 0.84; 95% CI 0.79, 0.88; P < 0.0001).Conclusions Higher levels of greenness may reduce depression odds among older adults. Increasing greenery - even to moderate levels - may enhance individual-level approaches to promoting wellness.Declaration of interest None.
KW - Depressive disorders
KW - greenness
KW - neighbourhood
KW - older adults
KW - prevention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068866010&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85068866010&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1192/bjp.2019.129
DO - 10.1192/bjp.2019.129
M3 - Article
C2 - 31190652
AN - SCOPUS:85068866010
VL - 215
SP - 476
EP - 480
JO - British Journal of Psychiatry
JF - British Journal of Psychiatry
SN - 0007-1250
IS - 2
ER -