PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IN NON-INSTITUTIONALIZED ELDERLY PEOPLE: BEHAVIORAL FACTORS AND LONELINESS AS DETERMINANTS

This study analyzed the prevalence of depression in non-institutionalized older adults and associated factors, using a quantitative, cross-sectional and analytical approach. The sample consisted of elderly people treated at two health services in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Data were collected through structured and validated questionnaires, which included sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics, and measures of loneliness and depression, assessed by the UCLA Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Loneliness Scale. An initial descriptive analysis of the data was performed, followed by bivariate analyses to investigate the associations between the independent variables and the presence of depression. Pearson's chi-square test was used, considering p < 0.05, and the Prevalence Ratio (PR) was calculated with 95% confidence intervals. The final sample included 281 elderly people aged 60 years and older. The prevalence of depression found was 31.7%, and the factors significantly associated were the absence of physical activity (adjusted PR=2.12; p=0.001) and the presence of loneliness (adjusted PR=2.49; p<0.001). Other factors, such as gender, age, skin color, and marital status, did not show statistically significant associations. This study showed that physical inactivity and loneliness are risk factors for depression in the elderly, highlighting the need for interventions that promote the practice of physical activities and the strengthening of social bonds. Despite their limitation to a specific sample, the results provide important subsidies for the development of public policies aimed at the mental health of the elderly and for future research in the context of healthy and active aging.