Demographic and clinical correlates of depression among older adults with arthritis in Nigeria.

Background: Older adults have a high prevalence of chronic conditions like arthritis with morbidities, especially depression ranging up to 40% - 70%. Therefore, it is important to explore depression in older adults with arthritis.

Aim: This study aimed to determine if any demographic and clinical factors are associated with depression in older adults aged ≥ 60 years with arthritis attending a rheumatology clinic.

Setting: This is a cross-sectional study conducted over 6 months among 127 older adults on follow-up care in a university teaching hospital in the North-Eastern region of Nigeria.

Methods: A clinical proforma with information about the type of arthritis, duration of illness, hospitalisation, use of medications, co-morbidity was utilised for the data collection. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30), sociodemographic questionnaire and clinical proforma were administered. Data were analysed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 26.0 with the level of significance set as 0.05.

Results: The mean age (± standard deviation [s.d.]) was 66.6 (± 5.5) years, with males constituting 57.5%. The prevalence of depression was 57.8%. Osteoarthritis 30.2%, while 69.8% had rheumatoid arthritis. Sociodemographic factors associated with depression include age ( = 0.049), marital status ( = 0.001), and level of education ( = 0.001). Duration of illness ( = 0.02), hospitalisation ( = 0.03), and number of medications ( = 0.01) were clinical factors associated with depression score.

Conclusion: The prevalence of depression in older people with arthritis is high and was associated with females, the widowed, no formal education; and those with long duration of illness, those using multiple medications, and those with repeated hospitalisation.

Contribution: This finding can enhance the suspicion index for depression to establish standard operating procedures, which will help to improve therapeutic practice for caring for the older adult age group.