Trends in depression among Adults in the United States, NHANES 2005-2016

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the prevalence and trends of mild, moderate and severe depression among adults and all age groups in the US from 2005 to 2016, and analysis the risk factors for depression.

Methods: This study analyzed the prevalence and association with risk factors of depression using weighted univariate logistic regression model. Data of NHANES 2005-2016 were used.

Results: This study analyzed 29,303 participants. From 2005 through 2016, the trends of severe depression increased among ≥20 years (p for trend = 0.026, difference, 0.109[0.012,0.207]); severe depression increased among ≥65 years (p for trend <0.001, difference, 0.302[0.170,0.435]); and moderate depression increased among 20-39 years (p for trend = 0.028, difference, 0.137[0.045,0.229]). In adults, the odds ratios (OR)(95% confidence intervals (CI)) of mild depression for < 25000$ was 2.24 (1.96, 2.55), moderate depression was 4.94(3.91,6.24), and severe depression was 6.45(4.78,8.71); the OR(95%CI) of mild depression for smoking was 1.69(1.55,1.84), moderate depression was 2.94(2.57,3.35), and severe depression was 3.36(2.87,3.93); the OR(95%CI) of mild depression for hypertension was1.27(1.18,1.38), moderate depression was1.50(1.31,1.73), and severe depression was 1.94(1.61,2.34); the OR(95%CI) of mild depression for diabetes mellitus was1.45(1.30,1.61), moderate depression was1.83(1.51,2.22), and severe depression was 2.05(1.70,2.48).

Conclusions: There was an increasing trend of severe depression in American adults, which was mainly manifested in the increasing trend of severe depression in the population ≥65 years. And the trend of moderate depression increased in 20-39 years. In addition, lower income, smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus increased the risk of depression, and the risk increased with the degree of depression.

Keywords: Depression; NHANES; Risk factor; Trends.