Abstract
ObjectivesTo assess the associations between gender roles and depression in older men and women and whether gender roles are independent risk factors for depression.MethodsInternational cross-sectional study of adults between 65 and 74 years old (n = 1,967). Depression was defined by a score of 16 or over in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A validated 12-item Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was used to classify participants in gender roles (Masculine, Feminine, Androgynous, and Undifferentiated) using research site medians of femininity and masculinity as cut-off points. Poisson regressions were fitted to estimate the prevalence ratios (PR) of depression for each gender role compared to the masculine role, adjusting for sex, sufficiency of income, education, marital status, self-rated health, and chronic conditions.ResultsAmong men, 31.2% were androgynous, 26% were masculine, 14.4% were feminine, and 28.4% were undifferentiated; among women, the corresponding percentages were 32.7%, 14.9%, 27%, and 25.4%. Both in men and in women, depressive symptoms (CES-D≥16) were more prevalent in those endorsing the undifferentiated type, compared to masculine, feminine or androgynous groups. However, after adjusting for potential confounders, compared to the masculine group only those endorsing the androgynous role were 28% less likely to suffer from depression: PR of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.55–0.93). In fully adjusted models, prevalence rates of depression were not different from masculine participants in the two other gender groups of feminine and undifferentiated.ConclusionsAndrogynous roles were associated with lower rates of depression in older adults, independently of being a man or a woman.
Highlights
Mental health issues are worldwide problems imposing huge burdens on health care systems and lives of individuals with depression constituting a large proportion of mental disorders [1]
After adjusting for potential confounders, compared to the masculine group only those endorsing the androgynous role were 28% less likely to suffer from depression: prevalence ratios (PR) of 0.72
Androgynous roles were associated with lower rates of depression in older adults, independently of being a man or a woman
Summary
Mental health issues are worldwide problems imposing huge burdens on health care systems and lives of individuals with depression constituting a large proportion of mental disorders [1]. According to the World Health Organization 2004 statistics, globally, depression was the third most important cause of disease burden. Rates of depression vary considerably across the countries with a range in lifetime prevalence rates from approximately 3% in Japan to 16.9% in the United States. Rates of depression within a country are not uniform. It is estimated that lifetime prevalence of depression in Brazil is about 17% [3] but due to regional and cultural diversity, rates differ from 12.2% [4] and 19.5% [5] in the Southeast of Brazil to 37.5% [6] in the Northeast of Brazil
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