Abstract
The aim of the current study was to investigate the factors associated with depression statuses in a 10-year follow-up of community-dwelling older adults in Israel. Longitudinal data were used from the Israeli sample of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe, assessing the depressive symptoms in 1042 respondents, aged 50 or above, at three time points: 2004/2005 (Wave I); 2009/2010 (Wave II); and 2014/2015 (Wave III). Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the relationships among explanatory variables and depression statuses (no-depression, intermittent depression, or persistent depression). Some 46.5 % of the participants suffered from intermittent or persistent depression. Five factors were associated with increasing the probability of both intermittent and persistent depression: being female, unemployed, less educated, physically disabled, and in poor health. Five other explanatory variables were associated only with a higher risk for persistent depression: low family income, widowhood, physical inactivity, more than two chronic diseases, and cognitive dysfunction. According to these findings, depression is common among older people in Israel. Low socio-economic status and poor subjective and physical health are significant determinants of depression statuses over time, underlining the importance of taking measures to improve these conditions in order to reduce the risk of depression in old age.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexopoulos G (2005) Depression in the elderly. Lancet 365:1961–1970
Almeida OP, Pfaff JJ (2005) Depression and smoking amongst older general practice patients. J Affect Disord 86(2–3):317–321
Ball K, Burton NW, Brown WJ (2009) A prospective study of overweight, physical activity, and depressive symptoms in young women. Obesity 17(1):66–71
Baron-Epel O, Kaplan G, Haviv-Messika A, Tarabeia J, Green MS, Kaluski DN (2005) Self-reported health as a cultural health determinant in Arab and Jewish Israelis: MABAT—national health and nutrition survey 1999–2001. Soc Sci Med 61:1256–1266
Beard JR, Tracy M, Vlahov D, Galea S (2008) Trajectory and socioeconomic predictors of depression in a prospective study of residents of New York City. Ann Epidemiol 18(3):235–243
Beekman AT, Copeland JR, Prince MJ (1999) Review of community prevalence of depression in later life. Br J Psychiatry 174:307–311
Blay SL, Fillenbaum GG, Marinho V, Andreoli SB, Gastal FL (2011) Increased health burden associated with comorbid depression in older Brazilians with diabetes. J Affect Disord 134(1–3):77–84. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.05.012
Blazer DG (2003) Depression in late life: review and commentary. J Gerontol A 58(3):249–265
Braam AW, Prince MJA, Beekman TF, Delespaul P, Dewey ME, Geerlings SW et al (2005) Physical health and depressive symptoms in older Europeans. Results from EURODEP. Br J Psychiatry 187:35–42
Buber I, Engelhadt H (2011) The association between age and depressive symptoms among older men and women in Europe. Findings from SHARE. Comp Popul Stud 36(1):103–126
Byers AL, Vittinghoff E, Lui L, Hoang T, Blazer DG, Covinsky KE et al (2012) Twenty-year depressive trajectories among older women. Arch Gen Psychiatry 69(10):1073–1079
Castro-Costa E, Dewey M, Stewart R, Banerjee S, Huppert F, Mendonca-Lima C et al (2007) Prevalence of depressive symptoms and syndromes in later life in ten European countries: the SHARE study. Br J Psychiatry 191:393–401
Chang-Quan H, Zheng-Rong W, Yong-Hong L, Yi-Zhou X, Qing-Xiu L (2010) Education and risk for late life depression: a meta analysis of published literature. Int J Psychiatry Med 40(1):109–124
Chiao C, Weng L, Botticello AL (2011) Social participation reduces depressive symptoms among older adults: an 18-year longitudinal analysis in Taiwan. BMC Public Health 11:292. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-292
Cole MG, Dendukuri N (2003) Risk factors for depression among elderly community subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry 160(6):1147–1156
Cruwys T, Dingle GA, Haslam C, Haslam SA, Jetten J, Morton TA (2013) Social group memberships protect against future depression, alleviate depression symptoms and prevent depression relapse. Soc Sci Med 98:179–186. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.013
Dewey ME, Prince MJ (2005) Mental Health. In: Börsch-Supan A, Jürges H (eds) Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe—First Results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. MEA Eigenverlag, Mannheim, pp 108–117
Dines P, Hu W, Sajatovic M (2014) Depression in later-life: an overview of assessment and management. Psychiatr Danub 26:178–184
Djernes JK (2006) Prevalence and predictors of depression in populations of elderly: a review. Acta Psychiatr Scand 113(5):372–387
Duivis H, de Jonge P, Penninx BW, Na BY, Cohen BE, Whooley MA (2011) Depressive symptoms, health behaviors, and subsequent inflammation in patients with coronary heart disease: prospective findings from the heart and soul study. Am J Psychiatry 168(9):913–920
Dunlop DD, Lyons JS, Manheim LM, Song J, Chang RW (2004) Arthritis and heart disease as risk factors for major depression: the role of functional limitation. Med Care 42:502–5011
Gale CR, Aihie Sayer A, Cooper C, Dennison EM, Starr JM, Whalley LJ et al (2011) Factors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in five cohorts of community-based older people: the HALCyon (Healthy Ageing across the Life Course) Programme. Psychol Med 41(10):2057–2073
Gaugler JE, Duval S, Anderson KA, Kane RL (2007) Predicting nursing home admission in the U.S: a meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr 7:13. doi:10.1186/1471-2318-7-13
Geerlings SW, Beekman AT, Deeg DJ, van Tilburg W (2000) Physical health and the onset and persistence of depression in older adults: an eight-wave prospective community-based study. Psychol Med 30(2):369–380
Glass TA, De Leon CM, Bassuk SS, Berkman LF (2006) Social engagement and depressive symptoms in late life: longitudinal findings. J Aging Health 18(4):604–628
Han B, Jylha M (2006) Improvement in depressive symptoms and changes in self-rated health among community-dwelling disabled older adults. Aging Ment Health 10(6):599–605
Hong S, Hasche L, Bowland S (2009) Structural relationships between social activities and longitudinal trajectories of depression among older adults. Gerontologist 49(1):1–11
Huang J, Wong R, Chen C, Mao I, Huang C, Chang W et al (2011) Trajectory of depression symptoms and related factors in later life–a population based study. J Affect Disord 133(3):499–508
Jang S, Cho S, Chang J, Boo K, Shin H, Lee H et al (2009a) Employment status and depressive symptoms in Koreans: results from a baseline survey of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. J Gerontol B 64(5):677–683
Jang S, Kawachi I, Chang J, Boo K, Shin H, Lee H et al (2009b) Marital status, gender, and depression: analysis of the baseline survey of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). Soc Sci Med 69(11):1608–1615
Kaplan G, Glasser S, Murad H, Atamna A, Alpert G, Goldbourt et al (2010) Depression among Arabs and Jews in Israel: a population-based study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 45(10):931–939
Katz S, Downs TD, Cash HR, Grotz RC (1970) Progress in development of the index of ADL. Gerontologist 10(1):20–30
Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Koretz D, Merikangas KR, Rush AJ, Walters EE, Wang PS (2003) The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: results from the national comorbidity survey replication (NCS-R). JAMA 289(23):3095–3105
Khalaila R, Litwin H (2014) Changes in health behaviors and their associations with depressive symptoms among Israelis aged 50 and older. J Aging Health 26(3):401–421
Ku P, Fox KR, Chen L, Chou P (2012) Physical activity and depressive symptoms in older adults: 11-year follow-up. Am J Prev Med 42(4):355–362
Lorant V, Deliège D, Eaton W, Robert A, Philippot P, Ansseau M (2003) Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol 157(2):98–112
Mechakra-Tahiri DS, Dube M, Zunzunegui MV, Preville M, Berbiche D, Brassard J (2013) Pattern of change of depressive disorder over a one year period among community dwelling older adults in Quebec. Depress Res Treat. doi:10.1155/2013/451708
Melchior M, Chastang J, Head J, Goldberg M, Zins M, Nabi H et al (2013) Socioeconomic position predicts long-term depression trajectory: a 13-year follow-up of the GAZEL cohort study. Mol Psychiatry 18(1):112–121
Miech AR, Shanahan MJ (2000) Socioeconomic status and depression over the life course. JHSB 41(2):162–176
Miller ME, Rejeski WJ, Reboussin BA, Ten Have TR, Ettinger WH (2000) Physical activity, functional limitations, and disability in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 48(10):1264–1272
Montagnier D, Dartigues JF, Rouillon F, Peres K, Falissard B, Onen F (2014) Aging and trajectories of depressive symptoms in community dwelling men and women. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 29:720–729
Na’amnih W, Muhsen K, Tarabeia J, Saabneh A, Green MS (2010) Trends in the gap in life expectancy between Arabs and Jews in Israel between 1975 and 2004. Int J Epidemiol 39:1324–1332
Oakes JM, Rossi PH (2003) The measurement of SES in health research: current practice and steps toward a new approach. Soc Sci Med 56(4):769–784
Okun BS, Friedlander D (2005) Educational stratification among Arabs and Jews in Israel: Historical disadvantage, discrimination, and opportunity. Pop Stud-J Demogr 59(2):163–180
Paluska SA, Schwenk TL (2000) Physical activity and mental health: current concepts. Sports Med 29:167–180
Paterson HD, Warburton DE (2010) Physical activity and functional limitations in older adults: a systematic review related to Canada’s physical activity guidelines. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 7(11):38. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-7-38
Penninx BW, Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Simonsick EM, Deeg DJ, Wallace RB (1998) Depressive symptoms and physical decline in community-dwelling older persons. JAMA 279(21):1720–1726
Prince MJ, Reischies F, Beekman AT, Fuhrer R, Jonker C, Kivela SL et al (1999) Development of the EURO-D scale–a European, Union initiative to compare symptoms of depression in 14 European centres. Br J Psychiatry 174:330–338
Schoevers RA, Beekman AT, Deeg DJ, Geerlings MI, Jonker C, Van Tilburg W (2000) Risk factors for depression in later life; results of a prospective community based study (AMSTEL). J Affect Disord 59(2):127–137
Singh G, Jackson CA, Dobson A, Mishra GD (2014) Bidirectional association between weight change and depression in mid-aged women: a population—based longitudinal study. Int J Obes 38(4):591–596
Strawbridge WJ, Deleger S, Roberts RE, Kaplan GA (2002) Physical activity reduces the risk of subsequent depression for older adults. Am J Epidemiol 156(4):328–334
Sutin AR, Terracciano A, Milaneschi Y, An Y, Ferrucci L, Zonderman AB (2013) The trajectory of depressive symptoms across the adult life span. JAMA Psychiatry 70(8):803–811
Taylor MG, Lynch SM (2004) Trajectories of decline, social support, and depressive symptoms in later life. J Gerontol B 59(4):S238–S246
Teychenne M, Ball K, Salmon J (2008) Physical activity and likelihood of depression in adults: A review. Prev Med 46(5):397–411
Walsemann KM, Gee GC, Geronimus AT (2009) Ethnic differences in trajectories of depressive symptoms: disadvantage in family background, high school experiences, and adult characteristics. J Health Soc Behav 50(1):82–98
Wilkins CH, Mathews J, Sheline YI (2009) Late life depression with cognitive impairment: evaluation and treatment. Clin Interv Aging 4:51–57
Yang Y (2007) Is old age depressing? Growth trajectories and cohort variations in late-life depression. J Health Soc Behav 48(1):16–32
Yang Y, George LK (2005) Functional disability, disability transitions, and depressive symptoms in late life. J Aging Health 17:263–292
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra (guest editor) and Howard Litwin.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Khalaila, R. Depression statuses and related predictors in later life: A 10-year follow-up study in Israel. Eur J Ageing 13, 311–321 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-016-0384-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-016-0384-1