Comparative assessment of psychosocial status of elderly in urban and rural areas, Karnataka, India

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Psychological and social factors form an integral part in the health and well being of an elderly. Understanding these factors and their differential distribution based on geographical location will help in providing quality care. The aim of this study is to provide a comparative assessment of the psychological and social status of the elderly living in urban and rural area of Karnataka and to identify factors associated with the occurrence of psychological problems among elderly. METHODS: This comparative cross-sectional study was done by interviewing 510 elderly in house to house survey in urban and rural area. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information pertaining to social and demographic characteristics Cognitive assessment of the elderly was done using Hindi Mini Mental State Examination. Subsequently cognitively normal elderly was assessed for depression using Geriatric depression scale (GDS 15). The Barthel's Activities of Daily Living and Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living was used for functional assessment of elderly. RESULTS: The proportion of elderly who were at risk of developing depression was higher in rural area (32.6%) when compared to urban area (30.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that illiteracy, poor perceived mental health, having no one to confide to when they have a problem and feeling financially insecure were significantly associated with risk of depression. CONCLUSION: Study showed that there is a significant difference in the social and psychological status of elderly in urban and rural areas. Understanding these differences is essential to plan and implement services specifically for urban and rural population.