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Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms Among Rural Residents from Remote Areas

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for depressive symptoms among rural residents in Brazil. A representative sample of two hundred eighty-eight volunteers aged from 18 to 65 years was included and determining factors for high BDI-II score were investigated through a multivariate logistic model. Sadness, loss of pleasure, crying, worthlessness and loss of interest in sex are more likely to be observed in females, and risk factors to this high depression score among rural residents were shown to be: female gender, tobacco use, pesticide application, poor self-perceived health and presence of chronic disease. These data contribute to the knowledge of factors determining depressive symptoms among rural residents and may help to expand health policies to improve quality of rural life on these communities and others with similar characteristics.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all subjects who participated in this survey and all students from the University who voluntarily contributed to the interviews in each community. We thank psychologists Gabrielly A R Tâmbara and Rosane M S Santos for assistance with the BDI-II. Authors CLC and AMAS were supported by FAPES (Grant Nos. DCR 0828/2015 and PPSUS 307/2016), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo, and CLC was supported by a scholarship from CNPq, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program of Post-Graduation in Biotechnology/Renorbio, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, ES, Brazil

    Catarine Lima Conti, Aline Ribeiro Borçoi, Carlos César Jorden Almança, Anderson Barros Archanjo, Júlia de Assis Pinheiro, Flávia Vitorino Freitas & Adriana Madeira Álvares-da-Silva

  2. Department of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, ES, Brazil

    Wagner Miranda Barbosa, Daniela Rodrigues de Oliveira, Luciane Daniele Cardoso & Heberth De Paula

  3. Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais E da Saúde,, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Alto Universitário, S/N, Caixa Postal 16, Alegre, ES, 29500-000, Brazil

    Catarine Lima Conti & Adriana Madeira Álvares-da-Silva

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  1. Catarine Lima Conti
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  2. Aline Ribeiro Borçoi
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Conti, C.L., Borçoi, A.R., Almança, C.C.J. et al. Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms Among Rural Residents from Remote Areas. Community Ment Health J 56, 1292–1297 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00637-0

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