Characteristics and factors associated with depression in the elderly in Spain from a gender perspective.

Introduction: Depression is a main cause of disability and it is a priority public health problem among the elderly because of its significant consequences regarding morbidity and mortality, especially in women.

Methods: We selected records of people aged 65 and over out of the 2014 European Health Survey in Spain (n=6,520). We then performed a descriptive analysis stratified by gender of relevant variables such as demographic, socioeconomic, health status, health care and health determinants.