Anxiety and somatization: prevalence and correlates of mental health in older people (60+ years) in Botswana.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored key factors that influence mental health in older people in Botswana. The prevalence of anxiety and somatization in the elderly population was also calculated. METHODS: A cross-sectional study stratified by district was done to collect information on the elderly (N = 378; age: M = 71.8, SD = 9.1). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) measures were used to collect data on the outcome variables (somatization and anxiety). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the associations among the predictor variables and each of the outcome variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety and somatization in older people was 18.6% and 25.3%. The correlates significantly associated with somatization in the final model after adjusting for all influencing factors were: area of residence (rural) (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4-5), self-perceived health, non-medication use, self-esteem, and mastery. With regards to anxiety, non-medication use (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0-0.9), lack of social support, low self-esteem (OR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.6 - 9.4), and poor QOL (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) were significantly associated with anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Eradicating poverty, provision of services, promoting positive emotions, changing health perceptions and QOL may augment mental health in older people.

Factors Affecting Quality of Life for People Living with Albinism in Botswana.

People with albinism (PWA) in Africa suffer many challenges, including higher risk of skin cancers and deeply embedded stigma. We conducted interviews with PWA to determine factors influencing their quality of life (QOL) in Botswana. Physical concerns expressed included skin/eye health issues and limited access to health care. Psychosocial concerns included stigma/discrimination and myths/superstitions. Environmental concerns included barriers to personal development of education and employment, safety concerns, financial insecurity, and disability rights issues. Pervasive difficulty in obtaining equal rights to physical, psychosocial, and environmental health affected QOL. Education around albinism and disability rights are needed to improve QOL for PWA.