Predictors of depression among farmers in rural: A community-based study in South India

Farmers, particularly in rural areas, face a variety of unique stressors that place them at a heightened risk for depression.

A community-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted for 6 months among farmers who are residing in the field practice area of Rural Health Training Centre. Consecutive sampling was applied. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in their house using a predesigned structured questionnaire after obtaining consent. Data were entered in Epi info software version 7, and analysis was done in SPSS version 21.

Among 212 farmers, it was found that the majority of participants (29.2%) were in the age group of 31-40 years. Females 71.2% were predominant, and 54.2% were illiterates. It was found 58% had minimal depression, and 36% had mild depression. The odds of occurrence of mild to moderate depression was found to be 5.62 (95% CI 1.08-6.37) times higher among farmers with comorbidities when compared to farmers without comorbidities, and there was 4.90 (95% CI 1.84-14.31) times higher odds of developing mild to moderate depression among farmers with addictions when compared to those without addictions. The Nagelkerke R² value for the model is 24.3%.

Addictions and comorbidities were found to be significant predictors of mild to moderate depression, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.