title: Gender differences in depression and pain: A two year follow-up study of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The longitudinal association of depression and pain according to gender was investigated using a population-based sample from 13 European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was taken from waves 4-5 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. The sample consisted of 22,280 participants ≥50 years, who were interviewed at baseline, and after two years. Regression models for each gender were used to assess the variables associated with depression and pain incidence and persistence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalences of depression, pain, and depression-pain co-occurrence, were higher in women than in men (depression: 34.5% vs. 20.3%; OR=2.1; 95% CI=1.9-2.2; pain: 60.2% vs. 53.5%; OR=1.3; 95% CI=1.2-1.4; co-occurrence 25.3% vs. 14.0%; OR=2.3; 95% CI=2.2-2.6). Treated baseline pain in women (OR=1.6; 95% CI=1.3-2.0), and treated/untreated pain in men (untreated OR=1.3; 95% CI=1.1-1.7; treated OR=2.0; 95% CI=1.5-2.7), were associated with incident depression. Untreated baseline depression was associated with incident pain (women OR=1.3; 95% CI=1.1-1.7; men OR=1.8; 95% CI=1.3-2.6), and with persistent pain only in women (OR=1.3; 95% CI=1.1-1.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We lack information on pain severity, and the consumption of analgesics was used as a proxy. We lack information on antidepressants and anxiolytics consumption separately. Participants were interviewed twice in two years, and pain/depression at both interviews were considered persistent although they may have relapsed and recurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treated baseline pain is a risk factor for incident depression in both genders; untreated baseline pain is a risk factor only in men. Treating depression at baseline may protect from developing pain in both genders, and in women, it may also protect from pain persistence.
authors.affiliation: Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGI), IAS Research Unit, Salt, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calvó-Perxas
authors.affiliation: Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGI), IAS Research Unit, Salt, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain; Memory and Dementia Assessment Unit, Institut d'Assistència Sanitària, Salt, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: joan.vilalta@ias.scs.es.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vilalta-Franch
authors.affiliation: Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGI), IAS Research Unit, Salt, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Turró-Garriga
authors.affiliation: Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGI), IAS Research Unit, Salt, Catalonia, Spain; Memory and Dementia Assessment Unit, Institut d'Assistència Sanitària, Salt, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Secundino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: López-Pousa
authors.affiliation: Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGI), IAS Research Unit, Salt, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garre-Olmo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012179:Retirement; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics
keywords: Depression; Gender; Longitudinal; Pain; Population