Prevalencia de depresión y factores asociados en pacientes con enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en el centro de salud de Ricaurte. Cuenca. 2025

Abstract

Depression is a common disorder and a public health problem, especially in people with noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs), due to its influence on disease progression. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression and associated factors in patients with NCDs treated at the Ricaurte Health Center. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 317 adults with NCDs, to whom a survey including sociodemographic and clinical variables was applied, along with the PHQ-9 questionnaire to assess depression prevalence and the Morisky-Green test to evaluate treatment adherence. The study population consisted of 54.6% individuals aged 60 years or older, 58.7% women, 53.9% married participants, 46.7% with secondary education, 30.9% housewives, and 82.6% living with others. The most frequent NCDs were arterial hypertension (30.6%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (26.8%), and cardiovascular disease (14.5%). The prevalence of depression was 62.1%. Statistically significant associations (p<0.05) were found between depression and marital status, educational level, occupation, social support, disease duration, and treatment adherence. Patients without a partner (PR=1.29; 95% CI: 1.10-1.52), with low educational level (PR=1.90; 95% CI: 1.11-3.26), low social support (PR=1.58; 95% CI: 1.34-1.86), poor treatment adherence (PR=2.46; 95% CI: 1.93-3.14), and longer disease duration (PR=2.81; 95% CI: 1.96-4.02) showed a higher probability of depression. In conclusion, there is an association between depression and sociodemographic and clinical factors, highlighting the need to strengthen its detection and comprehensive management at the primary care level.