ABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the correlates of late life depression among elderly hypertensive patients as seen in Zaria Northern Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Elderly hypertensive patients attending the cardiac clinic of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria were recruited for the study. They were interviewed using socio-demographic Questionnaire, Consortium to Establish Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD), Geriatric Depression Scale-30 and Stick Design Test. Patients that had a score of 11 and above in the GDS-30 were further interviewed using the Geriatric Mental State Schedule (GMSS) AGECAT. Data obtained from the study was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences windows version 15. All tests of significance were carried out at 5% level of probability. RESULTS: A total of 179 patients participated in the study out of which 110 (65.1%) were females. The mean age of the subject was 68.23±5.72 years. The rate of late life depression based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD), 10th edition and Geriatric Mental State Schedule AGECAT (GMSS-AGECAT) diagnoses were 17. 88% (32) and 20.11 % (36) respectively. There was very good agreement between diagnoses based on ICD-10 criteria and GMSS-AGECAT (kappa=0.82, p<.001). Late life depression was significantly associated with recent bereavement (OR=11.04, p=.001), poverty (OR=4.39, p=.036) and lower diastolic blood pressure (7.04, p=.008). CONCLUSION: The rate of late life depression in this study is comparable to that of other studies reported in the literature. Poverty and bereavement but not high blood pressure, are important factors associated with depression in the elderly.
Subject(s)
Depression/epidemiology , Hypertension/epidemiology , Aged , Bereavement , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Hypertension/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , PsychometricsSubject(s)
Ascites/complications , Hydrothorax/complications , Pleural Effusion/etiology , Adult , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Diet, Sodium-Restricted , Diuretics/therapeutic use , Humans , Hypertension, Portal/complications , Liver Cirrhosis/complications , Male , Pleural Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Pleural Effusion/drug therapy , RadiographyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study was conducted among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and it tries to understand their sexual and reproductive lives, with the aim of understanding what they know about reproductive health, social challenges of life they face daily and what are their needs. METHOD: The study was conducted in the Northern state of Kaduna, Nigeria; a qualitative approach was employed using group interviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Individual PLWHAs, their associations and officials of the associations were interviewed. RESULTS: People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) are a group of people whose life has not been studied very well, they have a lot of pressing social issues such as their circumstances of diagnosis, bad experiences following the diagnosis, and lack of adequate provisions for their healthcare. They wish to see their welfare addressed with provision of drugs and social support. CONCLUSION: PLWHAs and their associations expressed concerns about how they are treated by both medical workers and the society. There is need to address these issues in the way of research aimed at changing the views of policy makers favourably.
