Rhinitis or asthma among adults as associated factors with symptoms of depression

Background. It has been observed that diseases such as rhinitis and asthma not only affect the physical health of individuals but can also significantly impact their psychological well-being. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between allergic rhinitis (AR), non-allergic rhinitis (NAR), and asthma with symptoms of depression in adults. Methods. Comparative cross-sectional study. Adult subjects diagnosed with AR, NAR or asthma were selected and a fourth group of apparently healthy individuals (control group) was recruited. Study subjects were included consecutively. Multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of the diseases in this study (AR, NAR or asthma) with the 21 symptoms of depression from the Beck Depression Inventory-II. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was used as the test statistic. Results. A total of 257 participants (60% women; mean age 33.2 years) were included and compared cross-sectionally in four groups: AR (n=59), NAR (n=42), asthma (n=80), and a control group (n=76). In women, asthma and allergic rhinitis were associated with loss of energy and tiredness or fatigue. On the contrary, among men, neither asthma nor allergic rhinitis showed an association with the variables analyzed. However, anxiety showed an association as a risk factor for symptoms of depression in both sexes. Conclusions. Our study reveals for the first time that although the spectrum of symptoms of depression is broad, rhinitis and asthma are only related to some of them.