Factors associated with geriatric depression in rural Nepal: a cross-sectional community survey

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with depression among the geriatric population in rural Nepal.

Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Thabang Rural Municipality of Rolpa District. A total of 405 elderly persons above the age of 60 years were interviewed. The respondents were administered through the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and sociodemographic questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with geriatric depression.

Results: The prevalence of depression was found to be 68.04%. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.27 to 3.98, p<0.005), gender (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.27 to 3.98, p<0.005), presence of chronic disease (OR 2.79; 95% CI 1.64 to 4.76, p<0.001), income sufficiency (OR 2.81; 95% CI 1.69 to 4.68, p<0.001), and health service access (OR 4.72; 95% CI 2.75 to 8.11, p<0.001) were significantly associated with geriatric depression.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that as depression is a significant issue amongst the elderly, standard routine health screening activities should be conducted. The study suggests stakeholders to design strategies that encourage healthy aging in Nepal