# Prevalence of Depression and Associated Factors Among Older People in Gezira State, Sudan: A Cross Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study found that nearly half of older adults in Gezira State, Sudan, experience depression, with factors like poor health and social isolation playing a role.

## Contribution

The study provides new data on depression prevalence and risk factors among the elderly in Sudan, a region with limited prior research.

## Key findings

- Depression prevalence among the elderly in Gezira State was 44%.
- Factors like illiteracy, diabetes, and lack of family contact were strongly associated with depression.
- Disability and poor self-rated health were also significant contributors to depression.

## Abstract

Sudan's ageing population is growing rapidly, yet research on the psychological health and depression mainly among the elderly is limited. Ageing research is urgently needed to offer critical data for policy formation and program implementation. This study was aimed to address the prevalence and associated factors of depression among older people in Gezira state, Sudan.

A cross‐sectional study was conducted to collect data from older adults at the household level in Gezira State between January and December 2021. The 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale‐15 was utilized to facilitate face‐to‐face interviews with a sample of 1068 participants. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including the Chi‐square test and logistic regression analysis, were employed to analyze the data.

A total of 1068 elderly individuals participated in the study, with a depression prevalence rate of 44%. Several factors were found to be significantly associated with depression, including illiteracy (OR = 1.411, 95% CI [1.030–1.933]), being unmarried (OR = 1.500, 95% CI [1.071–2.099]), having diabetes (OR = 1.489, 95% CI [1.102–1.940]), and heart disease (OR = 1.902, 95% CI [1.001–3.614]). Additional factors included disability (OR = 2.360, 95% CI [1.683–3.310]), poor self‐rated health (OR = 1.900, 95% CI [1.426–2.533]), lack of regular contact with relatives (OR = 1.595, 95% CI [1.073–2.371]), and consuming fewer than three meals per day (OR = 2.882, 95% CI [0.942–8.818]).

The findings of this study contribute valuable new data to the field of geriatric health, particularly in the area of psychological well‐being. Building upon previous research, the results of the current study can inform the development of strategies aimed at mitigating depression among the elderly population in Sudan.