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Depression, Sex and Gender Roles in Older Adult Populations: The International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS)

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  • Afshin Vafaei
  • Tamer Ahmed
  • Aline do N Falcão Freire
  • Maria Victoria Zunzunegui
  • Ricardo O Guerra

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the associations between gender roles and depression in older men and women and whether gender roles are independent risk factors for depression. Methods: International cross-sectional study of adults between 65 and 74 years old (n = 1,967). Depression was defined by a score of 16 or over in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A validated 12-item Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was used to classify participants in gender roles (Masculine, Feminine, Androgynous, and Undifferentiated) using research site medians of femininity and masculinity as cut-off points. Poisson regressions were fitted to estimate the prevalence ratios (PR) of depression for each gender role compared to the masculine role, adjusting for sex, sufficiency of income, education, marital status, self-rated health, and chronic conditions. Results: Among men, 31.2% were androgynous, 26% were masculine, 14.4% were feminine, and 28.4% were undifferentiated; among women, the corresponding percentages were 32.7%, 14.9%, 27%, and 25.4%. Both in men and in women, depressive symptoms (CES-D≥16) were more prevalent in those endorsing the undifferentiated type, compared to masculine, feminine or androgynous groups. However, after adjusting for potential confounders, compared to the masculine group only those endorsing the androgynous role were 28% less likely to suffer from depression: PR of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.55–0.93). In fully adjusted models, prevalence rates of depression were not different from masculine participants in the two other gender groups of feminine and undifferentiated. Conclusions: Androgynous roles were associated with lower rates of depression in older adults, independently of being a man or a woman.

Suggested Citation

  • Afshin Vafaei & Tamer Ahmed & Aline do N Falcão Freire & Maria Victoria Zunzunegui & Ricardo O Guerra, 2016. "Depression, Sex and Gender Roles in Older Adult Populations: The International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0146867
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146867
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    Cited by:

    1. Therese Rydberg Sterner & Pia Gudmundsson & Nazib Seidu & Kristoffer Bäckman & Ingmar Skoog & Hanna Falk, 2018. "A Psychometric Evaluation of a Swedish Version of the Positive–Negative Sex-Role Inventory (PN-SRI)," Societies, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Sara Esteban-Gonzalo & Petula Sik Ying Ho & Marta Evelia Aparicio-García & Laura Esteban-Gonzalo, 2020. "Understanding the Meaning of Conformity to Feminine Norms in Lifestyle Habits and Health: A Cluster Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Sophie Horstmann & Corinna Schmechel & Kerstin Palm & Sabine Oertelt-Prigione & Gabriele Bolte, 2022. "The Operationalisation of Sex and Gender in Quantitative Health–Related Research: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Lisa Wahidatul Oktaviani & Hui-Chuan Hsu & Yi-Chun Chen, 2022. "Effects of Health-Related Behaviors and Changes on Successful Aging among Indonesian Older People," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.
    5. M. Pilar Matud & M. Concepción García & Demelza Fortes, 2019. "Relevance of Gender and Social Support in Self-Rated Health and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Spanish People," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, July.

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