Objective. To estimate the prevalence of current depression; examine the relationship between current depression and immigration, health status, health care access, and health behaviors; and assess differences by California-Mexico border region (Imperial and San Diego Counties) among women in California. Methods. Using a cross-sectional, representative sample of adult women from the California Women's Health Survey (n = 13 454), a statewide telephone survey, prevalence of current depression and predictors of depression were examined in California and according to border region residence. Depression was assessed with the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Results. The prevalence of current depression for women in California was 12.0%. It was similar in the border (13.0%) and the nonborder (11.9%) regions. Odds of current depression in women were lower among recent immigrants (< 5 years or 5 to < 10 years in the United States) than in women born in the United States and in immigrants who had been living in the United States for 10 to < 15 years or longer (P < 0.05). Odds ratios for current depression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking were larger in the border region than outside the border region. Conclusions. Similar prevalences of current depression were observed among those who live in the border region of California and in those who do not, but the relationship between depression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking varied by border region residence. Ideally, future surveillance of depression and its predictors along the Mexico- California border will be conducted binationally to inform interventions and tracking such as the Healthy Border Program's objectives.

Health surveillance Women's health California Depression Mental health Women's health services

depression questionnaire survey border region psychological aspect demography risk Population Surveillance mental health human risk assessment immigration Odds Ratio Internationality health service health status international cooperation drinking resident population Mexico Residence Characteristics Cross-Sectional Studies United States Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans psychology Adolescent California female questionnaire health services prevalence Psychometrics Women's Health Services women's health Article disease prevalence psychometry Questionnaires adult migration Mexico [North America] Emigration and Immigration womens health health survey