title: Gender differences in the impact of mental disorders and chronic physical conditions on health-related quality of life among non-demented primary care elderly patients.
abstract: This paper aims to estimate the comorbidity of mental disorders and chronic physical conditions and to describe the impact of these conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of older primary care (PC) attendees by gender.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional survey, conducted in 77 PC centres in Catalonia (Spain) on 1192 patients over 65 years old. Using face-to-face interviews, we assessed HRQoL (SF-12), mental disorders (SCID and MINI structured clinical interviews), chronic physical conditions (checklist), and disability (Sheehan disability scale). We used multivariate quantile regressions to model which factors were associated with the physical component summary-short form 12 and mental component summary-short form 12.
  
  
  
  The most frequent comorbidity in both men and women was mood disorder with chronic pain and arthrosis. Mental disorders mainly affected 'mental' QoL, while physical disorders affected 'physical' QoL. Mental disorders had a greater impact on HRQoL than chronic physical conditions, with mood and adjustment disorders being the most disabling conditions. There were some gender differences in the impact of mental and chronic physical conditions on HRQoL. Anxiety disorders and pain had an impact on HRQoL but only in women. Respiratory diseases had an effect on the MCS in women, but only affected the PCS in men.
  
  
  
  Mood and adjustment disorders had the greatest impact on HRQoL. The impact profile of mental and chronic physical conditions differs between genders. Our results reinforce the need for screening for mental disorders (mainly depression) in older patients in PC.
authors.affiliation: Spanish Network of Research on Preventive Activities and Health Promotion in Primary Care, Barcelona, Spain. lbaladon@pssjd.org.|Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Spain, Pablo Picasso 12, 08830, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. lbaladon@pssjd.org.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5766-5084
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baladón
authors.affiliation: Spanish Network of Research on Preventive Activities and Health Promotion in Primary Care, Barcelona, Spain.|Sant Joan de Déu Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.|School of Pharmacy, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio-Valera
authors.affiliation: Spanish Network of Research on Preventive Activities and Health Promotion in Primary Care, Barcelona, Spain.|Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Spain, Pablo Picasso 12, 08830, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.|Sant Joan de Déu Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serrano-Blanco
authors.affiliation: Servei de Salut Mental, Hospital Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Palao
authors.affiliation: Spanish Network of Research on Preventive Activities and Health Promotion in Primary Care, Barcelona, Spain.|Sant Joan de Déu Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.|Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Centre for Disability Research and Policy, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Camperdown, Australia.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010808:Physical Examination; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Aged; Aged 80 and over; Chronic physical conditions; Health-related quality of life; Mental disorders; Non-demented; Primary care