Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal

Background. Physical and psychological ailments increase with age; while the physical ailments are well documented, mental health issues have received less attention.  Objective. To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated risk factors in individuals aged ≥60 years living in a...

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Main Authors: Jayalakshmi Narainsamy, Jennifer Chipps, Bilkish Cassim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2015-02-01
Series:South African Journal of Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/576
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author Jayalakshmi Narainsamy
Jennifer Chipps
Bilkish Cassim
author_facet Jayalakshmi Narainsamy
Jennifer Chipps
Bilkish Cassim
author_sort Jayalakshmi Narainsamy
collection DOAJ
description Background. Physical and psychological ailments increase with age; while the physical ailments are well documented, mental health issues have received less attention.  Objective. To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated risk factors in individuals aged ≥60 years living in a low-resource peri-urban area in South Africa.  Methods. Secondary analysis was performed on data obtained from a primary study conducted to determine the influence of socioeconomic and environmental factors on the health status and quality of life in older persons living in the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK) area. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D 10) was used to screen for depressive symptoms in the week preceding the interview, and respondents were categorised as having no (score <10), mild (10 - 14), or severe (>14) depressive symptoms. Risk factor associations were tested using Pearson’s χ2 tests and logistic regression.  Results. There were 1 008 respondents (mean (standard deviation) age 68.9 (7.4) years), of whom 503 (49.1%) did not meet criteria for depressive symptoms. Of the 505 (50.1%) respondents who met the CES-D 10 criteria for depressive symptoms, 422 (41.9%) had mild and 83 (8.2%) had severe depressive symptoms. In the univariate analysis, significant associations were found with age (p=0.011), household size (p=0.007), income (p=0.033), disability (p=0.001), nutritional status (p≤0.001), the inability to count on family (p=0.008) and lack of mastery (p≤0.001). In direct binary logistic regression, there were significant associations with lack of mastery (p≤0.001), inability to count on family (p=0.027), malnutrition (p≤0.001) and household size (p=0.024). Conclusion. This study highlights the high prevalence of depressive symptoms in the elderly in the INK area, and the need to promote successful ageing of the elderly population in this area.
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spelling doaj.art-ff1be146c95440ecbc58e81dfc8b6faa2022-12-22T01:56:34ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862015-02-01211e1e610.4102/sajpsychiatry.v21i1.5763Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-NatalJayalakshmi Narainsamy0Jennifer Chipps1Bilkish Cassim2Department of Geriatrics, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaSchool of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaDepartment of Geriatrics, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaBackground. Physical and psychological ailments increase with age; while the physical ailments are well documented, mental health issues have received less attention.  Objective. To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated risk factors in individuals aged ≥60 years living in a low-resource peri-urban area in South Africa.  Methods. Secondary analysis was performed on data obtained from a primary study conducted to determine the influence of socioeconomic and environmental factors on the health status and quality of life in older persons living in the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK) area. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D 10) was used to screen for depressive symptoms in the week preceding the interview, and respondents were categorised as having no (score <10), mild (10 - 14), or severe (>14) depressive symptoms. Risk factor associations were tested using Pearson’s χ2 tests and logistic regression.  Results. There were 1 008 respondents (mean (standard deviation) age 68.9 (7.4) years), of whom 503 (49.1%) did not meet criteria for depressive symptoms. Of the 505 (50.1%) respondents who met the CES-D 10 criteria for depressive symptoms, 422 (41.9%) had mild and 83 (8.2%) had severe depressive symptoms. In the univariate analysis, significant associations were found with age (p=0.011), household size (p=0.007), income (p=0.033), disability (p=0.001), nutritional status (p≤0.001), the inability to count on family (p=0.008) and lack of mastery (p≤0.001). In direct binary logistic regression, there were significant associations with lack of mastery (p≤0.001), inability to count on family (p=0.027), malnutrition (p≤0.001) and household size (p=0.024). Conclusion. This study highlights the high prevalence of depressive symptoms in the elderly in the INK area, and the need to promote successful ageing of the elderly population in this area.http://www.sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/576ElderlyDepressive symptomsRisk factors
spellingShingle Jayalakshmi Narainsamy
Jennifer Chipps
Bilkish Cassim
Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
South African Journal of Psychiatry
Elderly
Depressive symptoms
Risk factors
title Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
title_full Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
title_fullStr Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
title_full_unstemmed Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
title_short Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
title_sort depressive symptoms in community dwelling persons aged ≥60 years in inanda ntuzuma and kwamashu in ethekwini kwazulu natal
topic Elderly
Depressive symptoms
Risk factors
url http://www.sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/576
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