A Case-control Study On Risk Factors And Investigation On Incidence Of Geriatric Depression In Xi'an Urban Communities

Objectives: To explore geriatric depression in Xi'an urban communities and its possible risk factors on the basis of epidemiological investigation.Methods:1. Current situation investigation: 1950 urban elderly peoples aged above 60 in Xi'an were selected by cluster sampling method and studied by cross-sectional study with GDS and SF-36. The data was analyzed by SPSS using Mann-Whitney U test, X2 analysis, Spearman correlate analysis and logistic regression.2. A case-control study: on the basis of investigation on current situation in elderly depression, the elders with depression syndrome and the non-depression elders in Xi'an urban communities was conducted. The cases and controls were matched for age, sex and inhabitancy. Data were analyzed by statistical technique of Chi-square test and conditional logistic regression.Results:1. The total incidence rate of the elderly depression was 24.9%, among them are the elders with medium-serious depression syndrome.2. The incidence rate of male elderly depression was 20.8% and female 28.1%. There is a significant difference between genders.3. Multivariate analysis confirmed that female, loneliness, smoke, no hobby, negative life events in recent two years, unhappy experience, poor social position, physical functioning, economy earning and physical exercises were significantly related to elderly depression.4. The matched case investigation showed that negative life events, social support, physiological function, economy earning, physical exercises, after eliminating the effects of age, gender and inhabitancy, had significant relative to elderly depression.Conclusion: The psychological health of the elders in Xi'an urban communities is not optimistic. The social concerns should be highly recognized. The prevention of elderly depression should put emphasis on negative life events, loneliness, social support, physiological function and low income. Develop a social guarantee and perfect health service system for the elderly and make sure each elderly could get good health service. Strive to decrease the incidence of depression of the elderly in the community.