Objective: To examine racial and ethnic differences in moderate to severe d
epressive symptoms among young women seeking reproductive health care.
Methods: Nine hundred four white, black, or Hispanic women between 14 and 2
6 years of age completed an anonymous questionnaire that assessed demograph
ic and reproductive characteristics; recent substance use, including binge
drinking; sexual behaviors; occurrence of assault; and depressive symptoms.
Logistic regression analysis was used to develop adjusted odds ratios (OR)
and 95% confidence intervals for correlates df depressive symptomatology f
or each racial or ethnic group.
Results: Twenty-one percent (68 of 321) of whites, 28% (88 of 316) of black
s, and 29% (77 of 267) of Hispanics reported moderate to severe depressive
symptoms. White females with moderate to severe depressive symptoms were mo
re likely to report sexual assault (OR = 3.1); being a high school dropout
(OR = 2.6); unemployment (OR = 2.4); two or more episodes of binge drinking
(OR = 2.1); and having a mother with less than a high school education (OR
= 2.4). Black females with depressive symptoms were more likely to report
smoking one td nine cigarettes per day (OR = 3.5); sexual assault (OR = 3.2
); and unemployment (OR = 2.1). Hispanic females with depressive symptoms w
ere more likely to report adolescent age (OR = 3.5); physical assault (OR =
3.2); and smoking one or more cigarettes per day (OR = 2.4).
Conclusion: Twenty to 25% of young women, regardless of race or ethnicity,
have moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and behavioral markers vary ac
cording to ethnicity. (Obstet Gynecol 2000;95:55-60. (C) 2000 by The Americ
an College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.).