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Objective: To determine the prevalence of religious practice, family dysfunction and social support in older people with deppresive symptoms.

Methods: A descriptive study was performed in La Selva Health Center (Cali, Colombia) during 2001. Measures used were depression (GDS-Yesavage Scale), intrinsic/extrinsic religiosity measurement (Gorsuch-McPherson), family APGAR (Smilkstein scale) and frequency of religious practice. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed.

Results: 136 subjects were recruited with an average age of 69.2±6.4 year old, 78 (57%) were male, 82 (60%) were married, 21 (15%) were widowers, 133 (97.8%) were believers or had religious practice; 90% were catholics, 126 (93%) of patients prayed at least once day, 60 (44.4%) had intrinsic religiosity, 46 (33.8%) extrinsic religiosity, and 16 (11.8%) mixed religiosity; 40 (29.4%) had family dysfunction, 69 (50.7%) had not an adequate social support; 10 (7.3%) had high depressive symptoms (GDS >5/15) and 5 (3.7%) had severe depressive symptoms (GDS >10/15). The presence of chronic diseases, and being a widower had more frequency in older people with deppresive symptoms (p< 0.05). Most old subjects with depression had no regular religious practice (p=0.03).

Conclussion: Male gender, presence of chronic diseases and being a widower had more frequency in old people with deppresive symptoms (p< 0.05). Religious practice could be an important support for old patients’ health.

José Mauricio Ocampo, Universidad del Valle

Profesor Auxiliar, Departamento de Medicina Familiar, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

Nhora Romero, Universidad del Valle

Médico Familiar, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

Héctor A. Saa, Universidad del Valle

Médico Familiar, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

Julián A. Herrera, Universidad del Valle

Profesor Titular y Emérito, Departamento de Medicina Familiar, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

Carlos A. Reyes Ortiz, Universidad de Texas Medical Branch

Profesor Asistente y Científico Investigador , División de Geriatría, División de Ciencias de Rehabilitación, Universidad de Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Ocampo, J. M., Romero, N., Saa, H. A., Herrera, J. A., & Reyes Ortiz, C. A. (2006). Prevalence of religiosity, family function, social support and deppresive symptoms in old people. Cali, Colombia, 2001. Colombia Medica, 37(2 Supl 1), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.25100/cm.v37i2 Supl 1.434

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