Factors Associated with Depression among the Elderly Living in Urban Vietnam

The proportion of elderly people in big cities of developing countries, including Vietnam, is rapidly increasing during the age of rampant urbanization. This is being followed by a sustained rise of illnesses, especially mental health issues. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between depression and the factors associated with depression among the elderly. In a cross-sectional study, 299 elderly living in Hanoi, Vietnam, were approached for data collection. Self-reported depression among the elderly was 66.9% (32.8% mild, 30.4% moderate, and 3.7% severe cases). In multivariate analysis, there were significant associations between age, number of physical activities, number of medicine intake, and 3 domains of quality of life (physical health, psychological health, and environmental health) and depression. Age and the number of medicine intake are positively correlated with depression, accounting for 57.94% and 58.93%, respectively. On the contrary, the number of physical activities and the 3 domains of quality life mentioned above are negatively correlated with depression. In the urban setting of a developing country like Vietnam, the elderly have experienced common depression. Recognizing depression among the elderly—which is individual and social—helps us design public health programs. Screening for early depression, joining social programming, and participating in physical activities may improve the mental life of the elderly.

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