Ethnicity, Gender, and Measuring Adolescent Depression

North Dakota State University, Fargo ND

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In recent years, there has been increasing recognition that it is inappropriate to make cross-racial/ethnic group comparisons without empirically establishing the equivalence of the measure being used. It has been suggested that some racial/ethnic groups and subgroups have higher rates of depression. However, whether these differences are, in part, an artifact of the measures used is unclear. In the proposed 1-year project, data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) will be used to examine the cross-racial/ethnic measurement equivalence (ME) of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) among adolescents. The following aspects of ME will be examined: (1) equivalence of the factor structure and factor Ioadings for boys and girls within each of four ethnic/racial groups (Anglo Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans) and within the following Hispanic American subgroups (Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans) and Asian American subgroups (Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans); (2) equivalence of the factor structure and factor Ioadings between whites and each racial ethnic group and subgroup listed in Aim 1 separately for boys and for girls (3) impact of level of acculturation on the ME of the CES-D for boys and girls in each ethnic/racial group and subgroup; (4) compare the mean levels of depression for groups that show ME of the CES-D (5) examine the relation between depression and suicide risk within and across groups. Confirmatory factor analytic and structural equation models will be utilized to examine the dimensions of ME.