Risk factors for mild depression in older women with overactive bladder syndrome: a cross sectional study

Background: Studies demonstrate an association between severe depression
and overactive bladder syndrome (OAB).  However, mild depression
is constantly overlooked. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with mild depression in
women with OAB. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 241 women over 60
years old in Brasilia, Brazil.  All patients were subjected to an
interview followed by questionnaires and physical examination. The
clinical and sociodemographic variables analyzed were age, body mass
index, physical activity level, OAB symptoms, presence of gynecological
surgery, fecal incontinence, systemic arterial hypertension, Diabetes
Mellitus, anxiety (Beck Anxiety Scale). The Geriatric Depression Scale-15
(GDS-15) was used to identify depression. Univariate logistic regression
was used to assess the correlation between mild depression and the
variables chosen. Variables with a p-value less than 0.2 were included in
the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The level of confidence was
set at 95%. Results: 121 volunteers suffered from mild depression. The
multivariate analysis demonstrated that gynecological surgery (p
<.001) and anxiety (p <.001) are factors associated with
mild depression. Older women with a history of gynecological surgery and a
GDS-15 score of 2.04 were 1.08 times more likely to develop mild
depression compared to older women with no history of
gynecological  surgery. Conclusion: Anxiety and a history of
gynecological surgery are factors that need to be taken into account and
may influence the development of mild depression in older women with OAB.
Psychological treatment should be considered an important adjunct in the
treatment of women with symptoms of Overactive Bladder Syndrome