Depressive syndrome, cognitive impairment, and associated factors among community-dwelling aged persons in Cameroon

Background: Depressive syndrome (DS) and cognitive impairment (CI) are associated with unsuccessful aging. However, little is known about Cameroon. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with DS and CI among older adults in Cameroon. Methods: A representative sample of 599 individuals aged >= 60 years was selected for this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and health data were also collected. DS and CI were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), respectively. The Rosow Mobility Scale, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales were used to evaluate functional abilities. Chi-2, ANOVA, and multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with DS and CI. The threshold of statistical significance was 5 %. Results: The average age was 68.9 +/- 7.2 years, sex ratio M/F = 0.93, and weight 68.5 +/- 14.7 kg. DS affected 14.5 % of the population and the CI was 21.4 %. In the multivariate analysis, DS was positively associated with male gender (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.7 [95 % Confidence Interval (CI):1.1-2.7], p = 0.031) and inactivity (OR = 1.7 [95 % CI:1.0-3.0], p = 0.043). CI was positively associated with lack of education (OR = 6.5 [95 % CI:3.5-12.2], p < 0.001), inactivity (OR = 5.3 [95 % CI:1.6-17.9], p = 0.008), single (OR = 3.7 [95 % CI:1.2-11.3], p = 0.023), and widowhood (OR = 3.3 [95 % CI:1.6-6.5], p = 0.001), and negatively associated with no IADL (OR = 0.3 [95 % CI:0.2-0.6], p = 0.001) and ADL disability (OR = 0.5 [95 % CI:0.2-0.9], p = 0.032) limitations. Conclusions: The associated factors suggest that it might be of interest to fight inactivity and encourage early and long-term education to prevent DS and/or CI among older adults.