Risk Factors for Depression in Elderly Persons Attending the General Outpatient Clinics of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo
Journal Title: Journal of Medical Science And clinical Research - Year 2018, Vol 6, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: The growing populations of elderly people in Sub-Saharan Africa are exposed to social changes with potential adverse effects on mental health, one of such effects is depression. Depression is a disabling illness that affects even the most basic everyday task. There is therefore a growing and urgent need for mental care in the elderly. Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for depression in elderly persons attending the General Out- patient Clinics of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Three hundred and ten (310) elderly persons attending the General Out- patient Clinics of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital for medical conditions between July and September, 2014, who met the inclusion criteria, were consecutively recruited. All respondents were screened for depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale. Details of sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents as well as risk factors for depression were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 and the level of statistical significance was set at p< 0.05. Results: A total number of three hundred and ten subjects were recruited for the study. One hundred and seventy-seven subjects (57.1%) were females and one hundred and thirty-three (42.9%) were males. The female to male ratio of subjects recruited was 1.3:1. The age range of respondents were 60 and 90 years and the mean age (±SD) of the study subjects was 67.4 (± 6.6) years. From the study, significant risk factors for depression after logistic regression were loneliness and neglect, having no income, stressful life events, and financial failures. However, marital status and educational level had an association with depression when univariate analysis was done. Conclusion: It was observed that poor income, loneliness and neglect, and stressful life events were risk factors for depression among these elderly respondents.
Authors and Affiliations
Dr Uduak-Obong M. Morgan
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP502395
- DOI -
- Views 73
- Downloads 0
A Retrospective Study on Perforation Peritonitis
Perforation is one of the most serious and overwhelming catastrophic condition, subsequently they should be dealt energetically. It is the most common surgical emergency in our locality. The objective of the observe is t...
Study of Hypothyroidism in Adult Population
Background: Hypothyroidism is the most frequently encountered health problem in India, especially among women population. Aims and Objectives: To study the occurrence of hypothyroidism in adults with male to female ratio...
Prevalence of Breast Lesions on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology
Background: : Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) of breast lump is an important mode of diagnosis of breast diseases due to its easy accessibility and negligible complications and it forms a part of triple assessment...
Alcohol Use in Tuberculosis Patients their Treatment Outcomes: A Cross Sectional Study
Background: India has the most number of TB cases among the six countries that account for 60 per cent of total cases worldwide. To progress towards the global goals of elimination, it is vital to understand the factors...
Epidemiological Study of Parasitic Infestations in Pediatric Population Attending A Tertiary Care Hospital, Northern India
Introduction: Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the major health problems in several developing countries, including India. Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections form the most important group of intestinal wo...