Associations of depression with hypertension and citizenship among US 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 noncitizens 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.