Factors related to depressive complaints on climacteric: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Climacterium is a period of a woman's life, between 35 and 65 years old, marked by hormonal and biopsychosocial changes that can lead to the onset of depressive symptoms. The aim was to identify the prevalence of and factors associated with depressive symptoms in climacteric women.Method: An exploratory study, of cross-sectional type research, was carried out in Cajazeiras, Paraíba, Brazil, from January 2013 to March 2014. The sample included 411 women aged 40 to 60. Data collection was done by interviews using a structured script. Mean and standard deviation of age variables and per capita income were identified. For correlation between the variables, we used odds ratios (CI 95%), the X² and Fisher's Exact Test, with a significance level of 5%.Results: The average age of women was 49.73 (± 5.799) years. Depressive complaints prevailed in 68.1%, associated with advanced age (p = 0.009; OR: 1693 [CI 1113–2577]), low education (p = 0.022; OR: 1568 [CI 1032–2382]), lower per capita income (p = 0.043; OR: 1553 [CI 1012–2384]), unpaid labor activity (p = 0.013; OR: 1641 [CI 1079–2495]), menopausal/postmenopausal (p = 0.011; OR: 1667 [CI 1092–2545]), sexual activity with complaint (p < 0.001 [OR: 2.777; [CI 1628–4737]) and the presence of at least one disease (p < 0.001; OR: 2230 [CI 1445–3440]).Conclusion: Understanding and addressing the factors related to depressive complaints during climacterium supports the importance of conducting disease prevention programmes, thus delaying the onset of morbidity and improving quality of life