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

Abstract

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. Physical performance was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. A multivariate linear regression model adjusted for clinical and socioeconomic variables was used to analyze the association between depressive symptoms and functional performance.

Results: Our findings showed that the presence of depressive symptoms influenced functional performance, even when analyses controlled for variables such as age, sex, poor perceived health, cognitive status, and body mass index (BMI).

Conclusion: The results of this study reinforce the association between depressive symptoms and functional performance in an elderly population in an urban center in northeastern Brazil. These findings provide useful information for the identification of potential targets for research and therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing a decline in mobility in elderly individuals.

Keywords: Depression; Elderly; Functional performance; Mobility.