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Depressive symptoms in old age: relations among sociodemographic and self-reported health variables

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 April 2011

Gloria Teixeira Nicolosi ,
Deusivania Vieira da Silva Falcão ,
Samila Satler Tavares Batistoni ,
Andrea Lopes ,
Meire Cachioni ,
Anita Liberalesso Neri  and
Mônica Sanches Yassuda
Gloria Teixeira Nicolosi
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
Deusivania Vieira da Silva Falcão
Affiliation:
School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Samila Satler Tavares Batistoni
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Andrea Lopes
Affiliation:
School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Meire Cachioni
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Anita Liberalesso Neri
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
Mônica Sanches Yassuda*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Mônica Sanches Yassuda, Universidade Estadual de Campinas – UNICAMP, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Comissão de Pós-Graduação, Avenida Tessália Vieira de Camargo, 126, Cidade Universitária “Zeferino Vaz”, Distrito de Barão Geraldo – Campinas – SP, CEP. 13.083-887, Brazil. Phone: +55-11-9627-2325; Fax: 11-55-3091-1024. Email: yassuda@usp.br.
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Abstract

Background: Depression in old age is a complex multifactorial phenomenon that is influenced by several biopsychosocial variables. Depressive symptoms are associated with the presence of chronic diseases, with being female, with low education and low income levels, and with poor perceived health assessment. In impoverished areas, older adults may have more physical disability, as they may have less access to health services. Therefore, they may be more likely to report depressive symptoms.

Methods: Population-based cross-sectional research was undertaken using data from the FIBRA study conducted in Ermelino Matarazzo, a poor subdistrict of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The participants comprised 303 elderly people, aged 65 years and over, who attended a single-session data collection effort carried out at community centers. The protocol comprised sociodemographic and self-reported health variables, and the Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results: The majority of the subjects reported five or fewer symptoms of depression (79.21%), reported one or two self-reported chronic diseases (56.86%), declared themselves to have one or two self-reported health problems (46.15%), and had good perceived health assessment (40.27%). The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with a higher number of self-reported health problems, poor perceived health assessment, and lower schooling levels, in the total sample and in analyses including men only. For women, depressive symptoms were associated with the number of self-reported health problems and family income.

Conclusion: The presence of health problems, such as falls and memory problems, lower perceived health, and low education (and low family income for women) were associated with a higher presence of depressive symptoms among elderly people in this poor area of São Paulo.

Keywords

depressionchronic conditionsagegenderincomeeducation
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 23 , Issue 6 , August 2011 , pp. 941 - 949
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2011

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