The Prevalence of Depression Symptoms and Their Socioeconomic and Health Predictors in a Local Community with a High Deprivation: A Cross-Sectional Studies

Maciej Polak, Grzegorz Józef Nowicki (), Katarzyna Naylor, Robert Piekarski and Barbara Ślusarska
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Maciej Polak: Department of Epidemiology and Population Studies, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Skawińska 8 Str., PL-31-066 Krakow, Poland
Grzegorz Józef Nowicki: Department of Family and Geriatric Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 6 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland
Katarzyna Naylor: Department of Didactics and Medical Simulation, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4 Str., PL-20-093 Lublin, Poland
Robert Piekarski: Diabetology with Endocrine—Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Medical University of Lublin, Gębali 6 Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Barbara Ślusarska: Department of Family and Geriatric Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 6 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: Depression is a heterogeneous and etiologically complex psychiatric syndrome thatshows a strong sexual dimorphism and often impacts people with a low socioeconomic status (SES). The aim of the study was to estimate the occurrence of depression symptoms in a local community with a high deprivation rate, the example being the inhabitants of the JanówLubelski County in eastern Poland. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 3752 people aged between 35 and 64. The prevalence of depression symptoms was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. In the screening for depression symptoms in the entire population we studied, the risk of depression symptoms was 16.1% ( n = 605), with women having a significantly higher mean score than men ( p < 0.001). Significant predictors associated with the achievement of 10 points and more in the PHQ-9 assessment in the case of women and men were: living alone, education and having comorbidities. Moreover, female participants living in rural areas were significantly more likely to exhibit depression symptoms, whereas smoking was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms in men. It was observed that in the case of obese women, the chance of being in the higher category of the PHQ-9 assessment was 1.41 times higher than in women with normal body weight. However, in the case of men, an increase in age by one year increased the chance of being in a higher category by 1.02 times. Moreover, the odds of falling into a higher category, as assessed by the PHQ-9 questionnaire, among men who drink alcohol more than once a week was 1.7 times higher than in men who do not drink or consume alcohol occasionally. Summarising the results of studies conducted in a local community characterised by a high deprivation rate, socioeconomic and health variables related to SES significantly impacted the incidence of depression, but they differ in terms of gender.

Keywords: depression symptoms; PHQ-9; local community; socioeconomic predictors; health predictors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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