Abstract
Quality of life and depression are relevant to the health of the elderly. Studies indicate a positive association between religiosity and health. This study investigated quality of life, depressive symptoms and their relationship with religiosity in the elderly. The study included 287 older people from a unit of the Family Health Strategy. Data were collected by means of the instruments: John Flanagan's Quality of Life Scale, the short Geriatric Depression Scale and the Duke University Religion Index. The elderly showed high levels of religiosity, which, according to Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient, was positively associated with quality of life (p<0.004), but not related to depressive symptoms. Results indicated a high degree of satisfaction among the elderly subjects with their quality of life, whereas 83% showed mild depression. In conclusion, religiosity is related to improvement in quality of life in the elderly.
Highlights
Brazil is experiencing a new social reality, marked by the changing demographic and epidemiological profile of its population
The speed of this process of population aging raises a number of crucial issues, such as the increase in chronic diseases and illnesses typical of advanced age, which significantly influence the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly, and can often lead to the development of depressive symptoms.[2,3]
The following instruments were used for data collection: Flanagan’s Quality of Life Scale (QOLS); the short Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15); the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL); and a form containing demographic information for sample characterization
Summary
Brazil is experiencing a new social reality, marked by the changing demographic and epidemiological profile of its population. According to the World Health Organization, QOL is defined as “an individual’s perception of their position in life, in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns”.4:1405 Depression, on the other hand, is a disorder of the affective domain and mood This disorder is constantly ignored in the elderly, because health care professionals understand the signs and symptoms of depression to be normal manifestations of aging; these symptoms can lead to a loss of autonomy and worsening/exacerbation of existing morbidities.[5] It is important to note that depression has been repeatedly identified as the main determinant of worsening/lowering QOL in the elderly.[6] it is necessary to seek measures to avoid or reduce the problem of depression among the elderly. This study emphasizes religiosity as a possible resource
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