A comparison of depressive symptoms in elderly medical inpatients and the elderly in a population-based health study (the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 3)

Abstract

Aim: To compare depression in a sample of the medically hospitalized elderly with elderly people participating in a population-based health study in Norway and further to study the odds for depression, controlling for demographic and health differences between the two samples. Method: This cross-sectional observational study evaluated 484 medical inpatients from rural areas and 10,765 drawn from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 3 (HUNT-3 Study) including participants from rural and urban areas. All participants were elderly (≥65 years) with a mean (± standard deviation) age of 80.7 ± 7.4 and 73.3 ± 6.3 years, respectively. Symptoms of depression were screened by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Results: The prevalence of symptoms indicating mild, moderate or more severe depression (depression score ≥8) was about the same in both groups. In regression analyses, adjusting demographic and health differences, the odds for depression was lower for the elderly in the hospital sample than in the HUNT-3 Study. Older age, male gender, perceiving general health as poor, having impaired ability to function in daily life, previous consultation or treatment for emotional problems and anxiety (anxiety score ≥8) were associated with increased odds for depression in the elderly independent of being hospitalized or not. Conclusion: Surprisingly, we found the odds for depression after controlling for demographic and health variables to be lower in the hospitalized elderly individuals than in the elderly participating in the population-based health study. The health variables that were most strongly associated with an increased risk of depression were poor physical health and anxiety.

• Aged
• Anxiety
• Community dwelling
• Depression
• Disability
• HAD
• Hospitalization
• Normal population
• Perceived health

Acknowledgement

The hospital study was funded by collaboration between the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Innlandet Hospital Trust. The authors would like to thank the research co-ordinator at the General Medical Hospital, Geriatric Nurse Randi H. Skancke, for important contributions to the data collection, Dr Hans Cato Guldberg (for helpful advice) and the Medical Department, whose collaboration made the research possible. The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT Study) is collaboration between the HUNT Research Centre (Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU), Nord-Trøndelag County Council and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This article has been funded by Innlandet Hospital Trust.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.