Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Determinants of Depression in Women: A Comparison between Pre-Menopausal and Post-Menopausal Attendees of the General Outpatient Department in Fmc Lokoja

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, the burden of depression is on the increase especially among women. The increased prevalence of depression correlates with hormonal changes in women, suggesting that female hormonal fluctuations may be a trigger for depression. Hence this study sought to determine the prevalence and socio-demographic pattern of depression among pre- and post-menopausal women. Methodology: A cross-sectional design comprising of pre- and post-menopausal women attending the General Outpatient Department of the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja, North-Central region of Nigeria was employed in this study. Data on depression were collection using the Center for Epidemiologic Study Depression (CES-D) questionnaire, a validated and reliable tool for assessment of depression. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epi Info version 7. Statistical significance was set at level of 0.05. Results: A total of 277 pre-menopausal and 103 post-menopausal women were involved in the study. The prevalence of depression was higher among post-menopausal women (45.6%) in comparison to pre-menopausal women (35.4%). There was no significant relationship between demographic characteristics and depression in both groups of the study (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study noted that unlike the pre-menopausal population, almost half of the post-menopausal women had depression. Hence, routine screening for depression among post-menopausal women is advocated for timely intervention irrespective of their socio-demographic status.