Türk Osteoporoz Dergisi (Mar 2004)
Depression in Osteoporotic and Osteopenic Patients and the Relation with Lifstyle
Abstract
The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of depression in osteoporotic and osteopenic women and to determine the relationship between depression and lifestyle, level of education and some risk factors of osteoporosis. Sixty-one osteopenic or osteoporotic postmenopausal women were included in this retrospective study. Patients’ lifestyle, risk factors, pain and depression levels were evaluated by means of lifestyle questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. The women were divided into two groups as osteopenic and osteoporotic according to WHO criteria. The mean age and menopause duration of the subjects were 61.7±5.2 and 18.9±9.7 years, respectively. Fourty-six percent of women were found to be osteoporotic and the remainig were osteopenic according to the bone density measurement. As the results of lifestyle questionnaire, 73.8% of the patients were housewife, 45.9% graduated from primary school, and 14.8% were exercising regularly. The mean VAS and BDI scores were 5.4±2.01 cm and 17.2±9.8, respectively. According to BDI scores, 30.8% of women had moderate, and 7.7% had severe depression. There were negative correlations between BDI score and education level (r= -0.300, p= 0.031), as well as BDI and history of exercise (r=-0.285, p=0.041). However, positive correlations were found between exercise and level of education (r=0.340 p=0.007), and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) (r=0.430 p=0.001). In conclusion, depression being commonly seen in osteoporotic and osteopenic patients should be taken into account in the treatment and follow-up of patients. In these patients it should be taken into consideration that lifestyle properties like education, dressing, HRT usage, and exercise could have a relation with depression and with each other.
