Objective: To assess the association between migrant status and depressive symptoms among the older population in Germany. Methods: In a cross-sectional study with the German subsample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), a population-based sample of 2890 German residents aged 50 years or older (mean age 65 years, 55 % women), the association between migrant status (defined as being born outside of, and having immigrated to Germany) and depressive symptoms ( 4 points on the EURO-D scale) was examined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 539 respondents (19 %) were migrants. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in migrants (28 %) than in non-migrants (19 %, p < 0.001). Migrant status remained associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio 1.50, 95 % confidence interval 1.11-2.01) in logistic regression analysis adjusting for sociodemographic factors, indicators of physical health, and cognitive function. Conclusions: The results suggest an association between migrant status and depressive symptoms in the older population in Germany that was independent of other predictors of late-life depression included in this analysis. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Population-based study Migrants EURO-D scale Depressive symptoms

unemployment Germany depression regression analysis mass screening logistic regression analysis Europe Disabled Persons human immigration comorbidity middle aged Activities of Daily Living Aged Statistics as Topic Depressive Disorder Health Surveys chronic disease resident Cross-Sectional Studies Confidence interval cross-sectional study Humans male Emigrants and Immigrants female cognition Risk Factors Article major clinical study migration correspondence analysis Age Factors disease association health survey