Discrimination, acculturation and other predictors of depression among pregnant Hispanic women.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to examine the effects of socioeconomic status, acculturative stress, discrimination, and marginalization as predictors of depression in pregnant Hispanic women. DESIGN A prospective observational design was used. SETTING Central and Gulf coast areas of Texas in obstetrical offices. PARTICIPANTS A convenience sample of 515 pregnant, low income, low medical risk, and self-identified Hispanic women who were between 22-24 weeks gestation was used to collect data. MEASURES The predictor variables were socioeconomic status, discrimination, acculturative stress, and marginalization. The outcome variable was depression. RESULTS Education, frequency of discrimination, age, and Anglo marginality were significant predictors of depressive symptoms in a linear regression model, F (6, 458) = 8.36, P<.0001. Greater frequency of discrimination was the strongest positive predictor of increased depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS It is important that health care providers further understand the impact that age and experiences of discrimination throughout the life course have on depressive symptoms during pregnancy.