[Depression, epidemiological factors, and quality of life in older adults].

BACKGROUND

Depression in older adults is a public health problem that affects functional capacity, reduces quality of life, and it is associated with epidemiological factors such as age, sex, marital status, educational level, the presence of chronic diseases, and level of physical activity.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between depression, quality of life, and epidemiological factors in older adults.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 127 older adults. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of Life). Descriptive analyses, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to determine associations, with significance set at p < 0.05. The study was approved by CLIS 301 and CEI 3018 under protocol number R-2025-301-003.

RESULTS

The median age of participants was 69 years, with a predominance of women (57.5%). Depression was significantly associated with lower quality of life (p = 0.001) and lower physical activity levels measured by IPAQ (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings reinforce depression as a sensitive indicator of quality of life in older adults and highlight the need to strengthen early detection and promote physical activity as one of the epidemiological factors associated with psychosocial well-being in this population.