There have been few investigations on the association between depression and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study aims to explore the correlation between depression and BPH among middle-aged and older men in India.
We utilized data from male individuals aged 45 years and older who participated in the initial wave (2017-2018) of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI). The presence of BPH symptoms was based on self-reported information, while depressive symptoms were evaluated using CESD-10. The analysis was a cross-sectional study conducted on a final sample size of 30,108 male participants. To examine associations, we employed multivariate logistic regression analysis along with subgroup analysis and interaction tests.
A total of 439 (1.46%) men reported BPH and had a higher depression score (10.18 ± 4.22 vs. 9.28 ± 4.00). The findings indicated a significant association between the depression score and the likelihood of developing BPH, even after accounting for all potential confounding variables (OR = 1.054, 95% CI: 1.030-1.078, p < 0.00001). The participants were then categorized into a depression group and a normal group based on their CESD-10 score, using a threshold of 10 to ascertain the existence or nonexistence of depression. After adjusting for all variables in model IV, the findings continued to exhibit statistical significance (OR = 1.611, CI: 1.327-1.955, p < 0.00001). Significant interaction effects of age, education level, caste or tribe, and alcohol consumption were observed (p for interaction < 0.05).
Our research found that BPH was significantly linked to the presence of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly Indian men. Additional prospective research is necessary to clarify this association and investigate potential mechanisms.

© 2023. The Author(s).