ASSESSMENT OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CORRELATES OF DEPRESSION AMONG THE ELDERLY IN AN URBAN AREA IN MAHARASHTRA

Population aging is a result of demographic transition, resulting in increased proportion of older people in total population. Old age being highly prone for psychiatric disorders, depression is the most common of all. Socio-demographic factors have consistently been correlated with prevalence of depression among elderly. The present study was conducted to assess the socio-demographic factors among elderly in an urban area ofNanded City, Maharashtra. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the two wards of urban health training centre, field practice area of Dr. ShankarraoChavan Government Medical College, Nanded viz. Ambedkar Nagar and NayiAbadi of Nanded City which were selected randomly for the study during 1stAugust 2012 to 31th October 2012. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Total 270 participants were included in our study. Inclusion criteria: age >= 60 years, permanent residents of Nanded city. Exclusion criteria: Elderly having hearing problem, unable to complete an interview. After obtaining informed consent, the participants were interviewed by paying house to house visits using preformed and semi-structured questionnaire comprised of socio-demographic information regardingage, sex, religion, marital status, living arrangement, working status, education, socio-economic statusand chronic illnesses and a scale known as the "Geriatric Depression Scale-15," used for assessing depression in the elderly. Statistical software Open Epi Version 3.4.3 was used for chi-square test. Out of total 270 participants, depression wasmore commonly found in 12.94% respondents belonging to60-69 years of age group, females (17.73%), Muslims (19.44%), widowed (22.54%), living alone (33.96%), unemployed (19.21%), illiterates (16.46%), Socio-economic Class V (33.33%), Chronic illness (21.28%). Socio-demographic correlates like age, living arrangement, working status, chronic illness were significantly associated with depression among elderly in our study (P<0.05).