TABLE 1.

Sample Characteristics, by Race/Ethnicity: Americans' Changing Lives Survey, 1986 and 1989

	Black	White	t or χ2
Dependent measures (wave 2)
Meets DSM-III depression criteria, % (no.)	13.0 (869)	12.5 (1896)	0.68
Has 2-level chronic conditions, %	46.6	36.4	26.1*
Control measures (wave 1)
Meets CES-D depression criteria,a % (no.)	35.0 (871)	21.4 (1900)	58.3*
Male, %	32.2	37.8	8.2*
Age, y			−1.9*
Mean (SD)	52.4 (16.8)	53.7 (17.2)
Range	24–96	25–91
Residence in South, %	56.1	32.5	139.0*
Socioeconomic measures (wave 1)
Education, no.	872	1904	12.8*
Mean y (SD)	10.4 (3.7)	12.3 (3.0)
Range, y	0–17	0–17
Poverty ratioc			−16.7*
Mean (SD)	1.6 (1.8)	3.0 (2.5)
Range	0.1–15.9	0.10–17.0
Employed,d %	52.2	54.4	1.2
Blue-collar occupation, %	31.7	18.6	58.3*
Stressor and unhealthy behavior measures (wave 1)
Stressors			−6.8*
Mean (SD)	1.4 (1.3)	1.8 (1.4)
Range	0–6	0–8
Unhealthy behaviorsb			−2.0*
Mean (SD)	1.3 (0.9)	1.3 (0.8)
Range	0–3	0–3

Note. CES-D = Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale; DSM-III = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition. Unless otherwise noted, for Blacks, n = 874; for Whites, n = 1906. For differences in race ethnicity, the t test was used for continuous variables and the χ² test for dichotomous variables.

^aAn 11-item measure scaled to 20 by multiplying the sum by 1.818. A CES-D score of 16 or higher represents meeting the criteria for clinical depression.

^bUnhealthy behaviors include smoking (current or ever), drinking (ever), and being obese (defined as having a body mass index [weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared] of 30 or higher). Reported difference in count of unhealthy behaviors reflects rounding; the mean for Blacks is 1.2746, and the mean for Whites is 1.3410.

^cLower scores indicate more impoverished status.

^dFor Whites, n = 1905.

*P < .05.