Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of chronic diseases on the incidence of depression symptom in the elderly between the urban and rural areas.Methods The sample population consisted of 2 506 elderly people was sampled from urban and rural communities in Beijing with well-established statistical sampling conditions and techniques such as clustering,stratification and random selection.Data were collected by trained staffs using standard survey instruments in years 2000 and 2004.Results The incidence of depression symptom in rural area was higher than that in urban area,among the elderly adults who had variety chronic diseases.In the rural area,the incidence of depression among people who had cardiovascular,respiratory,cerebrovascular or digestive system diseases was significantly higher than that of the people who didn't have corresponding disease.In the urban,the incidence of depression in the elderly who had hearing disturbance was also significantly higher than those who had normal hearing.Conclusion It is important to develop health education and spread the health knowledge in the elderly,for improving medical care assurance,prolonging the life of the elderly and elevating their qualities of life especially in the rural areas.

Key words: elderly, chronic diseases, depression symptom, incidence