[Depression's prevalence and risk factors in hospitalized seniors]

To determine the prevalence of depression and associated factors in hospitalized seniors.

A prospective and transversal study was made in female and male seniors at General Hospital number 16 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security in Torreón, Coahuila, México between June and December of 2003. There were applied Yesavage, Katz, Lawton and Folstein scales.

There were included 320 patients with a mean age of 72 years. Ten patients with dementia (prevalence of 3.1%) were excluded. Depression was found in 50% and dependence in 62% according to Katz index, and 75% of the patients had dependence in daily life activity according to the Lawton scale. In the bivariate analysis, the following variables were associated with depression: age over 80, female gender, patients that have been hospitalized in the internal medicine department, living alone, to be dependent, and to have a chronic illness. In the multivariate analysis using logistic regression four former variables (female sex, living alone, dependence, and to be hospitalized in Internal Medicine department) had a significant association.

The prevalence of depression among hospitalized older patients is high. The strongest factors associated were dependence of other people and to have chronic disease.