Anxiety among community-dwelling older adults has not been studied sufficiently. The aims of this cross-sectional population-based study were to estimate the point prevalence of clinically relevant anxiety symptoms and to describe their socio-demographic and clinical features, with particular focus on the association with somatic illnesses. Three-hundred-sixty-six non-demented older adults (mean aGE 83.7±6.2, range 74–99 years) from the Faenza Project (Northern Italy) were assessed using the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination-Revised (CAMDEX-R) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory short form (GAI-sf). Multi-adjusted regression analyses were used to estimate Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). Clinically relevant anxiety symptoms occurred in one out of five participants (point prevalence 21.0%) and were significantly associated with depression (OR 5.6 per rank; 95% CI: 3.1–10.1), physical morbidity (OR 3.5 per illness; 95% CI: 1.0–11.9) and female gender (OR 2.8; 95% CI: 1.4–5.5). Further, there were significant associations with a consumption of alcohol exceeding 1 alcoholic unit/day. Anxiety symptoms are very common in older subjects, especially when medically ill. Depression and alcohol consumption often co-occur with late-life anxiety symptoms, thus requiring special attention in daily clinical practice.

Anxiety symptoms in 74+ community-dwelling elderly: associations with physical morbidity, depression and alcohol consumption

FORLANI, MARTINA;Morri M;Belvederi Murri M;Bernabei V;Moretti F;ATTILI, TOBIAS;BIONDINI, ANNA;DE RONCHI, DIANA;ATTI, ANNA-RITA
2014

Abstract

Anxiety among community-dwelling older adults has not been studied sufficiently. The aims of this cross-sectional population-based study were to estimate the point prevalence of clinically relevant anxiety symptoms and to describe their socio-demographic and clinical features, with particular focus on the association with somatic illnesses. Three-hundred-sixty-six non-demented older adults (mean aGE 83.7±6.2, range 74–99 years) from the Faenza Project (Northern Italy) were assessed using the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination-Revised (CAMDEX-R) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory short form (GAI-sf). Multi-adjusted regression analyses were used to estimate Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). Clinically relevant anxiety symptoms occurred in one out of five participants (point prevalence 21.0%) and were significantly associated with depression (OR 5.6 per rank; 95% CI: 3.1–10.1), physical morbidity (OR 3.5 per illness; 95% CI: 1.0–11.9) and female gender (OR 2.8; 95% CI: 1.4–5.5). Further, there were significant associations with a consumption of alcohol exceeding 1 alcoholic unit/day. Anxiety symptoms are very common in older subjects, especially when medically ill. Depression and alcohol consumption often co-occur with late-life anxiety symptoms, thus requiring special attention in daily clinical practice.
2014
Forlani M; Morri M; Belvederi Murri M; Bernabei V; Moretti F; Attili T; Biondini A; De Ronchi D; Atti AR.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Forlani M_2014_PLOS.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipo: Versione (PDF) editoriale
Licenza: Licenza per Accesso Aperto. Creative Commons Attribuzione (CCBY)
Dimensione 305.29 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
305.29 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/397244
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 13
  • Scopus 42
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 39
social impact