Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Apr 25;23(1):763. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15361-z.
Approximately two million Ghanaians suffer from mental disorders including depression. The WHO defines it as an illness characterized by constant sadness and loss of interest in activities that a person usually enjoys doing and this condition is the leading cause of mental disorders; however, the burden of depression on the aged population is fairly unknown. A better appreciation of depression and its predictors is necessary to design appropriate policy interventions. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of depression among older people in the Greater Kumasi of the Ashanti region.
A cross-sectional study design with a multi-stage sampling approach was employed to recruit and collect data from 418 older adults aged 60 years and above at the household level in four enumeration areas (EAs) within the Asokore Mampong Municipality. Households within each EAs were mapped and listed by trained resident enumerators to create a sampling frame. Data was collected electronically with Open Data Kit application over 30 days through face-to-face interaction using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The results were summarized using descriptive and inferential statistics. A multivariable logistics regression using a forward and backward stepwise approach was employed to identify the predictors of depression in the study sample. All analyses were performed using STATA software version 16, and the significance level was maintained at a p-value < 0.05 and presented at a 95% confidence interval.
The study achieved a response rate of 97.7% from the estimated sample size of 428 respondents. The mean age was 69.9 (SD = 8.8), and the distribution was similar for both sexes (p = 0.25). The prevalence of depression in this study was 42.1% and dominated by females, older adults (> 80 years), and lower economic class respondents. The rate was 43.4% for both consumers of alcohol and smokers with a history of stroke (41.2%) and taking medication for chronic conditions (44.2%). The predictors of depression in our study were being single, low class [aOR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.18-3.27] and having other chronic conditions [aOR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.59-4.62], and the inability to manage ones' own affairs [aOR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.32-0.97].
The study provides data that can inform policy decisions on the care of the elderly with depression in Ghana and other similar countries, confirming the need to provide support efforts towards high-risk groups such as single people, people with chronic health conditions, and lower-income people. Additionally, the evidence provided in this study could serve as baseline data for larger and longitudinal studies.
约有 200 万加纳人患有包括抑郁症在内的精神疾病。世界卫生组织将其定义为一种以持续悲伤和对通常喜欢做的活动失去兴趣为特征的疾病，这种情况是精神疾病的主要原因；然而，老年人的抑郁负担却鲜为人知。更好地了解抑郁症及其预测因素对于设计适当的政策干预措施是必要的。因此，本研究旨在评估阿散蒂地区大库马西老年人中抑郁症的患病率和相关因素。
采用横断面研究设计，采用多阶段抽样方法，在阿散蒂地区阿索科雷-曼蓬市的四个普查区（EA）中，从 418 名 60 岁及以上的老年人家庭中招募和收集数据。经过培训的驻地计数员对每个 EA 内的家庭进行绘图和列表，以创建抽样框架。数据通过电子方式使用 Open Data Kit 应用程序在 30 天内收集，通过使用老年抑郁量表（GDS）进行面对面互动。使用描述性和推断性统计方法总结结果。使用向前和向后逐步方法的多变量逻辑回归来确定研究样本中抑郁的预测因素。所有分析均使用 STATA 软件版本 16 进行，显著性水平保持在 p 值<0.05，并在 95%置信区间内呈现。
该研究从估计的 428 名受访者中获得了 97.7%的回复率。平均年龄为 69.9（SD=8.8），男女分布相似（p=0.25）。本研究中抑郁症的患病率为 42.1%，主要为女性、年龄较大的老年人（>80 岁）和经济水平较低的受访者。有饮酒和吸烟史（43.4%）以及服用慢性病药物史（44.2%）的患者中，这一比例分别为 41.2%和 41.2%。在我们的研究中，抑郁的预测因素是单身、低阶层[aOR=1.97；95%CI=1.18-3.27]和有其他慢性疾病[aOR=1.86；95%CI=1.59-4.62]，以及无法管理自己事务[aOR=0.56；95%CI=0.32-0.97]。
该研究提供了可以为加纳和其他类似国家的老年人抑郁症护理决策提供信息的数据，证实了需要向单身人士、患有慢性健康状况的人和低收入人群等高危人群提供支持。此外，本研究提供的证据可以作为更大规模和纵向研究的基线数据。
