Air pollution is associated with depressive symptoms in elderly women with cognitive impairment

Abstract

Background: Studies on air pollution and depression in the elderly are limited and the results are heterogeneous. Objectives: We examined the association of ambient air pollution exposure and diagnosis and symptoms of depression in the elderly; and whether any associations were confounded or modified by cognitive decline. Methods: We enrolled 821 elderly women from the German SALIA cohort (follow-up examination, 2007–2010). Self-reported depressive symptoms and level of cognition were evaluated using the CESD-R Scale and the CERAD-Plus test, respectively. We used two depression endpoints for analyses: self-reported doctor diagnosis of depression and frequency of depressive symptoms (CESD-R s..