Abstract

Background: Depression is one of the most common treatable illnesses affecting individuals after the age of 60 years. In India, 39.04% of elderly persons are estimated to experience depression, whose prevalence is higher in slum areas and old age homes.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of depression among elderly persons residing in urban households and various factors contributing to it.
Materials and Methods: It is a community-based cross-sectional study where urban households of Ashok Nagar and Ram Nagar areas of Belagavi city, Karnataka, India, were selected randomly. A total of 150 elderly persons were interviewed 2 χ using pretested and predesigned questionnaire from GDS-30. Data were analyzed using percentages and -test. Result: The prevalence of depression in elderly persons was 37.1%; among these, 24.7% were mildly depressed and 9.3% severely depressed. Depression was more prevalent in those who were not physically active (46%) than those who 2 χ were active (54%) ( = 6.902, p = 0.032). About 75.3% of illiterates were found to be depressed than literate ones (24.7%) 2 χ ( = 9.391, p = 0.009). Conclusion: Four of ten individuals suffered from depression after 60 years of age. Depression was seen higher in illiterates and individuals leading sedentary lifestyle and was found to be statistically significant.