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The risk of experiencing depression among older adults in India: A cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Background

The comorbidity of diabetes and depression poses a major challenge to older adults. While a few small scale studies have investigated the diabetes associated risk of experiencing depression, there is no national-level study available for India on the same. In this context, this study estimates the burden and risk of depression due to diabetes among older adults aged 45 and above in India while adjusting for socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the individuals.

Methods

Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), 2017–2018 wave 1 data was utilised in this study. The prevalence of depression and diabetes were estimated by background characteristics using bivariate cross-tabulation. In addition, multivariate logistic regression was applied to examine the likelihood of depression associated with diabetes and other covariates.

Result

Empirical estimation demonstrated that 14% of males and 8% of females with diabetes suffer from depression in the 45–59 age group. A diabetic person aged 45 and above was 16% more likely to suffer from depression than a non-diabetic person; whereas, a diabetic elderly aged 60 and above was 24% more likely to experience depression than their non-diabetic counterparts. The multivariate analysis confirmed a highly statistically significant association between diabetes and depression indicating a substantial risk to experience depression among those older adults and elderly who suffer from diabetes.

Conclusion

Elderly population (60 +) is at higher risk of experiencing depression due to diabetes. Therefore, public health care awareness should be raised, particularly among endocrinologists or specialist doctors who provide treatment at the tertiary-care hospitals in India. The health care experts should refer/recommend the diabetic patients to screen for depressive symptoms.

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Data Availability

The dataset which has been analysed in this study is available subject to a data request. The data request can be put through the following link: https://www.iipsindia.ac.in/content/lasi-wave-i.

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Acknowledgements

The authors cordially acknowledge International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) for providing us the LASI Wave 1 dataset for conducting the study.

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This research received no specific fund from any agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors to conduct this study.

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  1. International Institute for Population Sciences, Deonar, 88, Mumbai, India

    Subhojit Shaw & Junaid Khan

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SS and JK: Conceptualization, methodology, validation, formal analysis, investigation, writing (original draft preparation). All authors have contributed equally in each section of the study, read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Junaid Khan.

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Shaw, S., Khan, J. The risk of experiencing depression among older adults in India: A cross-sectional study. J Diabetes Metab Disord 22, 629–638 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-023-01185-6

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