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Description
The aim of the study was to verify changes in the association between place of residence and depression prevalence before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Second objective of the study was to identify indicators of social capital as determinants of the prevalence of depression among people aged 50 years or older living in rural and urban areas.
The study included data from two cross-sectional studies: Polish part of the COURAGE in Europe and the COURAGE-CAD, conducted in 2011-2012 and 2024, respectively. The analysis was based on pooled dataset and included 2917 participants from the first and 1802 from the second study. Individuals aged 50 years or older were randomly selected from general population including people who lived in Poland. In both study the same methodology was applied. To generalize the study sample to the reference population for years 2011-2012 and 2024, the data from the studies were weighted on their design. In each survey, face-to-face computer-assisted interviews were conducted. The structured questionnaire included, among others, a scale measuring social support (OSLO-3 SSS), social trust, formal and informal social participation, as well as a social network (COURAGE-SNI). It also incorporated an assessment of depression prevalence based on the DSM-IV algorithm for Major Depressive Disorder.
The results of the logistic regression model with interaction indicated that pandemic period (before vs after) moderates the association between place of residence and depression. The logistic regression model showed that after the pandemic period the odds of experiencing depression was higher in urban area (OR=1.93, 95%CI=(1.04;3.59)) than in rural. There was no statistically significant differences in pre-pandemic period.
Logistic regression models examining the association between indicators of social capital and depression over time, both before and after the pandemic in rural and urban areas, indicated that an increased level of social trust, formal participation and a higher level of social network were associated with a lower odds of experiencing depression. Only in urban residents subgroup after the pandemic, level of trust was associated with higher odds of depression (OR=1.02, 95% CI=(>1.00;1.04), in fully adjusted model).
The results confirmed a significant positive effect of some social capital indicators on depression before the pandemic, however during the post-pandemic period the association was ambiguous. After the pandemic, the patterns of the association between place of residence and prevalence of depression was changed in the favor of rural areas.
Financing COURAGE-CAD: National Science Centre, Poland, OPUS23 grant UMO-2022/45/B/NZ7/04030.
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