Abstract P314: Physical Activity-Mediated Associations of Perceived Neighborhood Violence and Problems on Depressive Symptoms Among Jackson Heart Study Participants
Introduction: Little is known about whether links between perceived neighborhood social environment (PNSE) and depressive symptoms are mediated by physical activity (PA) levels. Hypothesis: We tested the hypotheses that total PA mediates relations between PNSE and depressive symptoms. Methods: We used Jackson Heart Study (JHS) baseline data. JHS is a prospective, community-based study of African Americans in the Jackson, MS (valid samples=2082; M age 52.4 years; 64% female). PNSE variables included neighborhood violence, problems (higher value=more violence or problems), and social cohesion (higher value=more cohesion). Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Validated total PA, based on active living, sport, and work indices, was tested as the mediator. Linear regressions with bootstrap-generated 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals (BC CIs) were estimated using SAS 9.4 to test for significant unstandardized indirect effects, controlling for all covariates. Results: Participants had a mean depressive symptoms score of 10.8 ( SD =8.1). Neighborhood violence and problems were indirectly related to depressive symptoms via total PA ( β for indirect effects=.21, 95% BC CI =.02, .48 and .13, 95% BC CI =.01, .32, respectively). That is, higher violence and problems were related to lower total PA. In turn, higher total PA was associated with lower depressive symptoms ( Figure 1 ). Neighborhood violence and problems also were directly related to depressive symptoms ( p <.05). Yet, social cohesion was not indirectly or directly related to depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Higher perceived neighborhood violence and problems were positively related to depressive symptoms. These associations may be explained in part via lower total PA levels. Future interventions to reduce depressive symptoms attributed to neighborhood issues should consider PA promotion in conjunction with community efforts to reduce neighborhood violence and problems.