Depressive symptoms and functional decline in an elderly sample of urban center in Northeastern Brazil.

Objective: To examine the association between depressive symptoms and functional status in elderly people living in an urban center in northeastern Brazil.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, observational, analytic study, 313 community-dwelling elderly (age≥65 years) individuals of both sexes who resided in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, were evaluated. The Brazilian version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms.