Cancer worry and its impact on self-reported depressive symptoms among adult males and females in the US: a nationwide sample study.

OBJECTIVE: With cancer the second deadliest disease in the world, worry about cancer can have mental health or psychiatric implications. This study examines the prevalence, differences, and influence of cancer worry (CW), its interaction effect with age, and other confounders on self-reported depressive symptoms (SRDS) among adult males and females in the US. METHODS: We utilized a nationally representative sample data of 2,950 individuals (males = 1,276; females = 1,674) from Cycle 4 of the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (HINTS 5) 2020. Using frequencies, bivariate chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression, we examined the prevalence, difference, and association of CW with SRDS, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of SRDS was found to be 32% among females and 23.5% among males. Among individuals with CW, females had a higher prevalence of SRDS compared to males (40.5% vs. 35.1%). However, there was a significant difference in the likelihood of experiencing SRDS between males and females with CW, with males having 84% increased risk compared to females. Across all age groups, the multivariate analysis of the relationship between CW and SRDS revealed that both males and females showed a significantly decreased likelihood of SRDS compared to those aged 18-34 years. However, males aged 35 years or older exhibited an even more pronounced decrease in likelihood compared to females in the same age group. Nonetheless, when examining the interaction of age and CW, we observed a significantly increased likelihood of SRDS across all age groups. Males, in particular, had a higher increased likelihood of SRDS compared to females across all ages, except for those aged 75 years and older. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the significant influence of CW on individuals' SRDS and the modifying effect of age, particularly among males. These results are important for a better understanding of the risk of CW on mental health, which can be a preventive strategy or control mechanism.

Associations of depression with hypertension and citizenship among U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study of the interactions of hypertension and citizenship.

With the increasing prevalence of hypertension-related cardiovascular deaths and depression, this study examined the associations of depression with hypertension, citizenship status, and interaction of hypertension and citizenship status among U.S. adults. Data from the 2015-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), including 63,985 individuals, were analyzed. Depression status was the outcome, with hypertension and U.S. citizenship status as the main independent variables. Using odds ratio (OR) estimates, we evaluated the associations between hypertension and depression, and citizenship status. The result indicates that a higher proportion of U.S. adults with hypertension reported depression compared to those who did not have hypertension (42.9 % vs. 37.5 %). In terms of U.S. citizenship status, a higher proportion of U.S. citizens reported depression than non-citizens (39.6 % vs. 31.6 %). However, non-citizens with hypertension were more likely to report depression compared to U.S. citizens without hypertension (OR = 1.46; 95 % CI = 1.15, 1.86). While hypertension marginally increased the odds of depression among the general U.S. population, being a non-U.S. citizen with hypertension significantly increased the risk of depression by 46 %. The findings imply that the healthy immigrant paradox, in the context of hypertension-depression prevention and control, may not apply to non-citizens with hypertension. We therefore recommend community-based screenings and more tailored interventions to address these health disparities while taking into consideration the unique cultural norms, behaviors and healthcare barriers encountered by specific immigrant communities.