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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Melissa A. Simon, MD, MPH, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, 333 East Superior, Suite 490, Chicago, IL 60611, 312-320-6222, simonmelissa@yahoo.com and XinQi Dong, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatrics, Rush University Medical Center, 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612.

Background: Little is known in western literature regarding epidemiology of depression in Chinese elderly. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in a major urban medical center in NanJing, China. Depression was diagnosed using the Geriatric Depression Scale. Result: 412 patients completed the survey. Depression was found in 12% of the participants. Person over the age of 80, female, low education, low income, and unmarried were more likely to have depression. Depression was found to be higher in persons with poor health status, poor quality of life and moderate or greater bodily pain. Loneliness and low social support were also factors. Elder abuse and neglect was found in 145(35.2%) participants. Participants who screen positive for depression are more likely to be mistreated (adjusted OR, 6.77; 95% CI, 3.37-13.62, p<0.001). Dissatisfaction with life (adjusted OR, 5.25; 95% CI, 2.86-9.66, p<0.001), often being bored (adjusted OR, 5.29; 95% CI, 2.91-9.61, p<0.001), often feeling helplessness (adjusted OR, 5.24; 95% CI, 2.73-10.05, p<0.001) and feeling worthless (adjusted OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.96-6.62, p<0.001) were positively associated with risk of elder mistreatment. Full stepwise logistic regression model showed that depression is independently associated with elder abuse and neglect (OR, 2.96, CI, 1.12-7.88, p<0.05). Conclusion: With rapidly increasing aging population in China, depression is common. Depression appears to be a risk factor associated with elder abuse and neglect in this Chinese elderly population. Further prospective study is needed to confirm this finding and increased awareness is needed to screen and treat depression in Chinese elderly.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in the session will be able to

• Understand the prevalence of depression in older people in China.
• Understand the prevalence of elder mistreatment in China.
• Understand depression as a risk factors for elder mistreatment in the elderly in China.

Keywords: Aging, Depression

Awards: Nobuo Maeda International Aging & Public Health Research Award - Recipient

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation