Quality of Life in the Face of Depression Among Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil and Portugal

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to analyze and compare the association of depression levels with quality of life among older people in primary health care in Brazil and Portugal. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with older people in primary health care. The Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Quality of Life (SF-36) instrument was used to measure the quality of life, and the Beck Depression lnventory was used to evaluate depression. We grouped the depression level variables into "absent/mild" and "moderate/severe" and tested their association with the categorical variables of quality of life ("better quality of life" and "worse quality of life"). Results: The total sample was 150 participants (Brazil n=100 and Portugal n=50). Each group results in the subcategory of absent/mild depression (n=129) indicated better quality of life in Portugal in physical role functioning (P= .027/ odds ratio = 2.768), physical functioning (P < .001 / odds ratio = 5.864), and the physical health dimension (P=.002/odds ratio=3.752). The binary logistic regression analysis highlighted the domains physical role functioning (odds ratio= 1.01/CI for 95%= 1.00-1.03), physical functioning (odds ratio = 1.02/CI for 95% = 1.01-1.03), and the physical health dimension (odds ratio= 1.09/CI for 95%= 1.04-1.13). Conclusion: There was an association between better assessments of the physical and functional aspects of quality of life and lower levels of depression, in which we could highlight those aspects related to physical health and functionality. Among the groups studied, Portugal had better quality of life evaluations than Brazil. However, none of the groups overlapped the other in levels of depression.