Factors related to depression of elderly in a Korean rural community.
- Author:
Hang Suk CHO
1
;
Hye Ree LEE
;
Gye Joon YOO
;
Byoung Hoon OH
;
Seong Hee YANG
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine and Psychiatry,Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
depression;
nutrition;
social support network;
function;
cognitive function
- MeSH:
Aged*;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Demography;
Depression*;
Education;
Female;
Health Expenditures;
Humans;
Internship and Residency;
Male;
Marital Status;
Mortality;
Nutritional Status;
Surveys and Questionnaires;
Rural Population*;
Self Concept;
Suicide
- From:Journal of the Korean Geriatrics Society
1998;2(1):89-102
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Depression is prevalent and a serious disorder in the elderly that interferes with social and physical function. It is associated with significant morbidity and a high mortality rate from suicide. Depression is highly treatable disease, but it remain largely unrecognized and untreated among the elderly. This study evaluate the factors related to depression of elderly, to be used as basic reference for management program in the community. METHODS: The cross-sectional study evaluates the depression of community-living elderly, aged 60 and older, in a Korean rural community. The subject were selected from a two stage cluster sampling. Questionnaire contained demographics, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini-Mental Status Exam-Korean (MMSE-K), IADL, Social support network. T-test and multiple stepwise regression were constructed to explore the factors related to depression. RESULTS: Mean age was 71.22+/-7.1 with 101 male subjects and 200 female subjects. The mean GDS score was 6.9+/-3.7 and 56.5% of subjects were suggested depression (above 5 point on GDS). The mean score from the GDS showed significant differences in terms of following factors: gender, age, education, marital status, income, expenditures, type of residency, cognitive function, presence of disease, number of medications, stress, subjective self perception of health, IADL, nutrition, emotional support, social activity support, instrumental support (p<0.05). In the multiple stepwise regression analysis on depression, nutrition, IADL, education, presence of disease were selected as highly correlated variables (p<0.05), and religion, cognitive function, subjective self perception of health, stress were also selected (p>0.05). These variables explained 34.2% of depression. CONCLUSION: Nutritional status, cognitive function, physical state, functional state, social support network demographic characteristics were related to depression in the elderly.
