Objective:

To explore the demographic, health and functional factors associated with depression in the elderly in three cities from Colombia: Medellin, Barranquilla and Pasto.

Materials and methods:

An analytical cross-sectional study. The study population corresponded to a probabilistic sample of 1514 adult whose age is 60 years or over. A sample was selected by a probabilistic sampling, in two-stage, and conglomerate, according to the geographical and administrative distribution of each city.

Results:

The results support that the city of Pasto presents the highest number of elderly people with depression; conditions such as low educational level (PR = 4.11), hyperthyroidism / hypothyroidism (PR = 3.43), and dependence on activities of daily living such as using the telephone (PR = 3.80) increase the prevalence of the disease.

Conclusion:

Depression is present in an important part of the population of older adults and is associated with conditions not only of health but also demographic and functional capacity. It is necessary to address these components from the public health that promotes the prevention of this condition if you want to contribute to the goals of active, satisfactory and healthy aging in Colombia and a better quality of life for this population.

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