Prevalence and risk factors of depression among Indonesian elderly: A nursing home-based cross-sectional study

Background The burden of depressive elderly is high globally. However, nursing home-based studies on prevalence and risk factors of depression are scarce due to feasibility and difficulties in data collection. Methods This cross sectional study was conducted at three nursing homes (NHs) in three districts in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. A total of 181 elderly NH residents aged ≥60 were recruited purposively. Information regarding socio-demographics, health-related characteristics and social support among respondents were collected by a modified questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. A short form Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Indonesian version was employed to assess levels of depression. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results Overall, the prevalence of geriatric depression was assessed to be at 42.5% (31.5% in women and 11% in men). Risk factors that were found to be significantly associated with depression in the univariate analysis were female, none or lack of social support, had ≥3 chronic diseases, and perceived inadequacy of care. In the multivariate analysis, perceived inadequacy of care remained significant risk factor for depression amongst the elderly NH residents. Limitations Besides a number of important variables were determined by self-report, the used sampling technique was purposive. In addition, the elderly who had severe cognitive impairment or dementia and were not able to communicate meaningfully were excluded from this study. Conclusions The prevalence rates of depression were relatively high among elderly NH residents in our study area. Adequate health services are needed in order to reduce the risk of depression among elderly NH residents.