Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Health, Social, and Economic Variables Associated with Depression Among Older People in Low and Middle Income Countries : World Health Organization Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health

Brinda, Ethel M. ; Rajkumar, Anto P. ; Attermann, Jǿrn ; Gerdtham, Ulf G. LU orcid ; Enemark, Ulrika and Jacob, Kuruthukulangara S. (2016) In American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 24(12). p.1196-1208
Abstract

Objective Although depression among older people is an important public health problem worldwide, systematic studies evaluating its prevalence and determinants in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are sparse. The biopsychosocial model of depression and prevailing socioeconomic hardships for older people in LMICs have provided the impetus to determine the prevalence of geriatric depression; to study its associations with health, social, and economic variables; and to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in depression prevalence in LMICs. Methods The authors accessed the World Health Organization Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health Wave 1 data that studied nationally representative samples from six large LMICs (N = 14,877). A... (More)

Objective Although depression among older people is an important public health problem worldwide, systematic studies evaluating its prevalence and determinants in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are sparse. The biopsychosocial model of depression and prevailing socioeconomic hardships for older people in LMICs have provided the impetus to determine the prevalence of geriatric depression; to study its associations with health, social, and economic variables; and to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in depression prevalence in LMICs. Methods The authors accessed the World Health Organization Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health Wave 1 data that studied nationally representative samples from six large LMICs (N = 14,877). A computerized algorithm derived depression diagnoses. The authors assessed hypothesized associations using survey multivariate logistic regression models for each LMIC and pooled their risk estimates by meta-analyses and investigated related socioeconomic inequalities using concentration indices. Results Cross-national prevalence of geriatric depression was 4.7% (95% CI: 1.9%–11.9%). Female gender, illiteracy, poverty, indebtedness, past informal-sector occupation, bereavement, angina, and stroke had significant positive associations, whereas pension support and health insurance showed significant negative associations with geriatric depression. Pro-poor inequality of geriatric depression were documented in five LMICs. Conclusions Socioeconomic factors and related inequalities may predispose, precipitate, or perpetuate depression amongolder people in LMICs. Relative absence of health safety net places socioeconomically disadvantaged older people in LMICs at risk. The need for population-based public health interventions and policies to prevent and to manage geriatric depression effectively in LMICs cannot be overemphasized.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
depression, developing countries, geriatric psychiatry, socioeconomic factors
in
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
volume
24
issue
12
pages
13 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:27743841
  • wos:000392727300011
  • scopus:84998911392
ISSN
1064-7481
DOI
10.1016/j.jagp.2016.07.016
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e8b546ed-e80a-4e2c-bbc6-05e20c539096
date added to LUP
2016-12-19 07:05:35
date last changed
2024-03-07 18:47:33
@article{e8b546ed-e80a-4e2c-bbc6-05e20c539096,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective Although depression among older people is an important public health problem worldwide, systematic studies evaluating its prevalence and determinants in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are sparse. The biopsychosocial model of depression and prevailing socioeconomic hardships for older people in LMICs have provided the impetus to determine the prevalence of geriatric depression; to study its associations with health, social, and economic variables; and to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in depression prevalence in LMICs. Methods The authors accessed the World Health Organization Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health Wave 1 data that studied nationally representative samples from six large LMICs (N = 14,877). A computerized algorithm derived depression diagnoses. The authors assessed hypothesized associations using survey multivariate logistic regression models for each LMIC and pooled their risk estimates by meta-analyses and investigated related socioeconomic inequalities using concentration indices. Results Cross-national prevalence of geriatric depression was 4.7% (95% CI: 1.9%–11.9%). Female gender, illiteracy, poverty, indebtedness, past informal-sector occupation, bereavement, angina, and stroke had significant positive associations, whereas pension support and health insurance showed significant negative associations with geriatric depression. Pro-poor inequality of geriatric depression were documented in five LMICs. Conclusions Socioeconomic factors and related inequalities may predispose, precipitate, or perpetuate depression amongolder people in LMICs. Relative absence of health safety net places socioeconomically disadvantaged older people in LMICs at risk. The need for population-based public health interventions and policies to prevent and to manage geriatric depression effectively in LMICs cannot be overemphasized.</p>}},
  author       = {{Brinda, Ethel M. and Rajkumar, Anto P. and Attermann, Jǿrn and Gerdtham, Ulf G. and Enemark, Ulrika and Jacob, Kuruthukulangara S.}},
  issn         = {{1064-7481}},
  keywords     = {{depression; developing countries; geriatric psychiatry; socioeconomic factors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1196--1208}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Health, Social, and Economic Variables Associated with Depression Among Older People in Low and Middle Income Countries : World Health Organization Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2016.07.016}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jagp.2016.07.016}},
  volume       = {{24}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}