ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2019
Depressive Symptoms and Their Relation to Age and Chronic Diseases Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Rural South Africa.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.
- Association of peripheral manifestation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor with depression: A meta-analysis.Brain and behavior · 2022Pooled it
- Mental health and well-being of older adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2021Pooled it
- Epidemiology of depressive disorders in people living with hypertension in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2020Pooled it
- Article
- The association of HIV status and depressive symptoms in the Ndlovu Cohort study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Analysis of anxiety and depression status and their influencing factors in patients with diabetic retinopathy.World journal of psychiatry · 2024Article
- Relationship satisfaction and metabolic health parameters: a cross-sectional study in Burkinabe population of older adults.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Depressive symptoms of older adults with chronic diseases: the mediating roles of activities of daily living and economic burden of diseases.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Perceptions of healthcare workers on linkage between depression and hypertension in northern Ghana: a qualitative study.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2024Article
- Depression and HIV Care-seeking Behaviors in a Population-based Sample in North West Province, South Africa.AIDS and behavior · 2023Article
- A cross-sectional study on resilience, anxiety, depression, and psychoactive substance use among heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents in Nigeria.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Depressive symptoms and their association with age, chronic conditions and health status among middle-aged and elderly people in peri-urban Tanzania.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2023Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with mild depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults living with HIV from the Kenyan coast.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2022Article
- Sub-national patterns and correlates of depression among adults aged 45 years and older: findings from wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India.The lancet. Psychiatry · 2022Article
- Psychiatric and Psychosocial Characteristics of a Cohort of Spanish Individuals Attending Genetic Counseling Due to Risk for Genetically Conditioned Dementia.Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports · 2022Article
- Older Adults Vastly Overestimate Both HIV Acquisition Risk and HIV Prevalence in Rural South Africa.Archives of sexual behavior · 2021Article
- Depressive symptoms and cardiovascular disease: a population-based study of older adults in rural Burkina Faso.BMJ open · 2020Article
- Support in times of need: How depressive symptoms can impact receipt of social support among aging adults in rural South Africa.SSM - population health · 2020Article
- Dimensionality and differential item endorsement of depressive symptoms among aging Black populations in South Africa: Findings from the HAALSI study.Journal of affective disorders · 2020Article
- Life-Course Trauma and Later Life Mental, Physical, and Cognitive Health in a Postapartheid South African Population: Findings From the HAALSI study.Journal of aging and health · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
16 authors at 10 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding how depression is associated with chronic conditions and sociodemographic characteristics can inform the design and effective targeting of depression screening and care interventions. In this study, we present some of the first evidence from sub-Saharan Africa on the association between depressive symptoms and a range of chronic conditions (diabetes, HIV, hypertension, and obesity) as well as sociodemographic characteristics.
methodsA questionnaire was administered to a population-based simple random sample of 5,059 adults aged 40 years and older in Agincourt, South Africa. Depressive symptoms were measured using a modified version of the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression screening tool. Diabetes was assessed using a capillary blood glucose measurement and HIV using a dried blood spot.
results17.0% (95% confidence interval: 15.9%-18.1%) of participants had at least three depressive symptoms. None of the chronic conditions were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in multivariable regressions. Older age was the strongest correlate of depressive symptoms with those aged 80 years and older having on average 0.63 (95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.86; p < .001) more depressive symptoms than those aged 40-49 years. Household wealth quintile and education were not significant correlates.
conclusionsThis study provides some evidence that the positive associations of depression with diabetes, HIV, hypertension, and obesity that are commonly reported in high-income settings might not exist in rural South Africa. Our finding that increasing age is strongly associated with depressive symptoms suggests that there is a particularly high need for depression screening and treatment among the elderly adults in rural South Africa.
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