Religiosity and depressive symptoms among older adults in Colombia

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and religiosity among older adults in Colombia.

Methods: Data are drawn from the SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) Colombia Study, a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2015 involving 19,004 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older living in urban and rural areas of Colombia. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression scale (GDS; range 0–15), examined both as a continuous and categorical variable. Religiosity was assessed by self-rated religiosity and comfort derived from religion. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to assess the association adjusting for confounders.

Results: Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that being more religious (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.85–0.95, p < .001) or perceiving greater strength or comfort from religion (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.82–0.93, p < .001) was associated with a lower likelihood of scoring above the cutoff on the GDS for significant depressive symptoms (≥6). Similarly, linear regression analyses indicated that being more religious (unstandardized beta coefficient B = −0.16, p < .001) or perceiving greater strength or comfort from religion (B = −0.20, p < .001) was associated with a significantly lower score on the GDS assessed on a continuous scale.

Conclusion: Being more religious or perceiving greater strength or comfort from religion is associated with fewer depressive symptoms among older adults in Colombia.

Keywords:

• Religion
• depression
• older adults
• Colombia

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

Dr. Reyes-Ortiz was a US Fulbright Scholar 2017–2018, PS00251235. The SABE Colombia study was supported by a fund from Colciencias [Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation] and Ministerio de Salud y Proteccion Social de Colombia (2013, no. 764).