Structure of a Depression Measure among American Indian Elders: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the CES-D Scale

Abstract

This research examines differences in depressive symptomology among urban, rural off-reservation, and reservation-residing American Indians, age 55 years or older, of the eastern Great Lakes region. It analyzes the measurement structure of one commonly used depression scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and tests alternative models for the full sample (N = 277) as well as the three residential strata. Findings show that a 12-item version developed by Liang et al. for use with Mexican Americans provided a superior fit over the original 20-item version. The shortened scale included items more conceptually valid for this American Indian population. Furthermore, tests of invariance revealed that only the 12-item version had similar factor structures and factor loadings across the three residential strata.