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Objective@#Contact frequency with adult children plays a critical role in late-life depression. However, evidence on possible moderators of this association remains limited. Moreover, considering alterations in contact modes after the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, there is a need to investigate this association post-pandemic to develop effective therapeutic interventions. @*Methods@#This study included 7,573 older adults who completed the Living Profiles of the Older People Survey in Korea. Participants’ contact frequency and depressive symptoms were analyzed. Regression analysis was performed after adjusting for covariates. The moderating effects of variables were verified using a process macro. @*Results@#Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that infrequent face-to-face (odd ratio [OR]=1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.55–2.22) and non-face-to-face contact (OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.04–1.45) in the non-cohabitating adult children group was associated with a higher risk of late-life depression compared to that in the frequent contact group. Linear regression analysis indicated consistent results for face-to-face and non-face-to-face contact (estimate=0.458, standard error [SE]=0.090, p<0.001 and estimate=0.236, SE= 0.074, p=0.001, respectively). Moderation analysis revealed that the association between late-life depression and frequency of face-toface contact was moderated by age, household income quartiles, number of chronic diseases, physical activity frequency, presence of spouse, nutritional status, and whether the effect of frequency of non-face-to-face contact on late-life depression was increased by participation in social activity, frequent physical activity, and good cognitive function (p for interaction<0.05). @*Conclusion@#Frequent contact with non-cohabitating children lowers the risk of depression later in life. Several variables were identified as significant moderators of contact frequency and depression symptoms.
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Objective@#We aimed to present the study design and baseline cross-sectional participant characteristics of biobank innovations for chronic cerebrovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease study (BICWALZS) participants. @*Methods@#A total of 1,013 participants were enrolled in BICWALZS from October 2016 to December 2020. All participants underwent clinical assessments, basic blood tests, and standardized neuropsychological tests (n=1,013). We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, n=817), brain amyloid positron emission tomography (PET, n=713), single nucleotide polymorphism microarray chip (K-Chip, n=949), locomotor activity assessment (actigraphy, n=200), and patient-derived dermal fibroblast sampling (n=175) on a subset of participants. @*Results@#The mean age was 72.8 years, and 658 (65.0%) were females. Based on clinical assessments, total of 168, 534, 211, 80, and 20 had subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s dementia, vascular dementia, and other types of dementia or not otherwise specified, respectively. Based on neuroimaging biomarkers and cognition, 199, 159, 78, and 204 were cognitively normal (CN), Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related cognitive impairment, vascular cognitive impairment, and not otherwise specified due to mixed pathology (NOS). Each group exhibited many differences in various clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging results at baseline. Baseline characteristics of BICWALZS participants in the MCI, AD, and vascular dementia groups were generally acceptable and consistent with 26 worldwide dementia cohorts and another independent AD cohort in Korea. @*Conclusion@#The BICWALZS is a prospective and longitudinal study assessing various clinical and biomarker characteristics in older adults with cognitive complaints. Details of the recruitment process, methodology, and baseline assessment results are described in this paper.
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This study examined the effect of the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet of the Korean multi-domain dementia prevention program on the cognitive functions of the elderly with dementia risk factors. We developed the program including nutrition, exercise, cognitive training, vascular disease prevention, and motivation. One- hundred and fifty-three participants aged 60∼79 years with at least 1 dementia risk factor were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the facility-based intervention (FMI), home-based intervention (HMI), and the control group. The nutrition education program consisted of 10 classes over 24 weeks: the FMI received 7 group sessions and three 1:1 sessions, the HMI received 4 group sessions and three 1:1 sessions with 3 homework sessions. The Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) were used to evaluate nutritional status. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), and the Cognitive Complaint Interview (CCI) were used to evaluate cognitive functions. A total of 136 people completed the program with an 11.1% dropout rate. The NQ-E (P=0.009) and RBANS (P=0.001) scores significantly increased in the FMI (N=45) and HMI (N=49) groups compared to the control group (N=42) after the study. The changes in the score of MNA and CCI did not differ significantly between groups. In conclusion, the nutritional intervention which focused on the MIND diet as a part of a multi-domain intervention program had a positive effect on the improvement of healthy eating habits and cognitive function scores in the high-risk dementia group.
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Objectives@#This study determines the effects of comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder on suicide behavior. @*Methods@#We converted data from the electronic medical records of one university hospital into a common data model and utilized it in our analysis. We selected 9551 patients with diagnosis codes of mood disorders or alcohol use disorders and divided them into three groups: mood disorder (MD) only, alcohol use disorder (AUD) only, and comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder (MD+AUD). The mood disorder group was also subgrouped with depressive (DD) or bipolar affective disorder (BD) groups, and the comorbidity group was classified in the same way. Then, we applied logistic regression analysis to assess the risk of suicide attempts between the diagnostic groups. Subgroup analysis according to age also was conducted. @*Results@#The MD+AUD group had 2.7 (odd ratio [OR]=2.70, 95% confidence intervals [CI]=1.91– 3.81, p<0.0001) and the DD+AUD group had 2.78 (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.95–3.98, p<0.0001) times higher risk of suicide attempts than the MD only and DD only group, respectively. Furthermore, according to the age subgroup, the risk of suicide attempts was the highest (OR=5.17, 95% CI=2.35–11.40, p<0.0001) in the DD+AUD group for those aged 40–59. There were no significant results in BD. @*Conclusion@#The results showed that the comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder could increase suicide risk. This study suggested that alcohol use behavior needs to be assessed as well as mood symptoms for suicide prevention.
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Objectives@#This study determines the effects of comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder on suicide behavior. @*Methods@#We converted data from the electronic medical records of one university hospital into a common data model and utilized it in our analysis. We selected 9551 patients with diagnosis codes of mood disorders or alcohol use disorders and divided them into three groups: mood disorder (MD) only, alcohol use disorder (AUD) only, and comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder (MD+AUD). The mood disorder group was also subgrouped with depressive (DD) or bipolar affective disorder (BD) groups, and the comorbidity group was classified in the same way. Then, we applied logistic regression analysis to assess the risk of suicide attempts between the diagnostic groups. Subgroup analysis according to age also was conducted. @*Results@#The MD+AUD group had 2.7 (odd ratio [OR]=2.70, 95% confidence intervals [CI]=1.91– 3.81, p<0.0001) and the DD+AUD group had 2.78 (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.95–3.98, p<0.0001) times higher risk of suicide attempts than the MD only and DD only group, respectively. Furthermore, according to the age subgroup, the risk of suicide attempts was the highest (OR=5.17, 95% CI=2.35–11.40, p<0.0001) in the DD+AUD group for those aged 40–59. There were no significant results in BD. @*Conclusion@#The results showed that the comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder could increase suicide risk. This study suggested that alcohol use behavior needs to be assessed as well as mood symptoms for suicide prevention.
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Background@#and PurposeThe prevalence of dementia is increasing in South Korea. Multidomain interventions may be useful for preventing dementia. Such programs need to be disseminated to elderly Koreans throughout the country. We have developed programs of the SoUth Korean study to PrEvent cognitive impaiRment and protect BRAIN health through lifestyle intervention in at-risk elderly people (SUPERBRAIN), which consists of a facility-based multidomain intervention (FMI) program and a home-based multidomain intervention (HMI) program suitable for elderly Koreans. We aim to determine the feasibility of the SUPERBRAIN programs before a large-scale randomized controlled trial. @*Methods@#We will recruit 150 participants among those without dementia aged 60–79 years with at least 1 modifiable dementia risk factor. They will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the FMI, HMI, and the waiting-list control arm. The 6-month multidomain intervention consists of management of metabolic and vascular risk factors, cognitive training and social activity, physical exercise, nutritional guidance, and motivational enhancement programs. The primary outcomes are adherence and retention rates and changes in the total scale index score of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status from baseline to the study end. The main secondary outcomes are disability, depressive symptoms, quality of life, vascular risk factors, physical performance, nutritional assessment, and motivation questionnaire. There will be an exploratory evaluation of neurotrophic, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation factors, microbiome, telomere length, electroencephalography, and neuroimaging measures. @*Conclusions@#The results obtained will provide information on the applicability of these multidomain intervention programs to at-risk elderly people.
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Objective@#Early detection and proper management of mental illness can help to prevent severe deterioration. However, with limited financial and human resources of community mental health services, it is not practical to carry out all conventional screening tools simultaneously. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a brief but comprehensive screening questionnaire for four common mental illnesses of the elderly. @*Methods@#The brief screening for four mental illnesses of elderly (BS4MI-elderly) is a 14-item binary response questionnaire that covers dementia, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, and hwa-byung. To test validity, we compared conventional scale scores for three groups of participants classified using the BS4MI-elderly. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of positive test, likelihood ratio of positive test and internal consistency of the BS4MI-elderly were assessed. Finally, a correlation analysis between the BS4MI-elderly and general mental health scales was conducted. @*Results@#A total of 254 participants aged over 65 years were recruited. The BS4MI-elderly showed moderate to high sensitivity for the test that distinguishes the normal group from the risk and disorder groups (dementia: 0.61, depressive disorder: 0.88, sleep disorder: 0.85, hwa-byung: 0.94) and high specificity for the test that distinguishes the disorder group from the normal and risk groups (dementia: 0.91, depressive disorder: 0.93, hwa-byung: 0.84, sleep disorder: 0.84). The BS4MI-elderly also exhibited good internal consistency and significant correlations with general mental health scales. @*Conclusion@#The BS4MI-elderly, a brief but comprehensive screening tool, could be a useful instrument for screening the elderly in community mental health services.
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OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of Internet of Things (IoT)-based behavioral intervention for reducing depressive symptom of older adults with major depressive disorder. METHODS: A 12-week randomized cross-over controlled study was conducted at community mental health center. We recruited 39 participants with major depressive disorder aged 60 years or older. As a multidomain intervention, four evidence-based therapeutic factors (physical activity, healthy diet, social activity, and emotional regulation) were approached. To maintain motivation of participants, we applied contingency management using IoT device based on operant conditioning theory. RESULTS: The primary outcome was change of depressive symptom measured by Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Mixed-effect model compared the effectiveness of intervention and usual care management (intervention by time and period interaction, p=0.017). And during the study period consisting of a total of visit 8, significant group difference was shown in post hoc test at visit 4 (MADRS score of intervention group : MADRS score of control group=7.7±3.4 : 21.1±11.5, p=0.008). CONCLUSION: Community-implementable IoT-based behavioral intervention resulted in greater reduction of depressive symptom of elderly with major depressive disorder.
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Adult , Aged , Humans , Conditioning, Operant , Depression , Depressive Disorder, Major , Diet , Internet , Mental Health , MotivationABSTRACT
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Depression , Follow-Up Studies , Korea , Longitudinal Studies , Odds Ratio , Surveys and Questionnaires , Weights and MeasuresABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to verify whether Mediterranean diet, which proved to have a significant effect on preventing dementia for people aged 65 or older, could be well modified to be a Korean-style Mediterranean diet. This study was performed as a randomized-controlled trial for 6 weeks. Functional physical changes, cognitive scores, depression scores and dietary changes were all assessed. The walking speed (P<0.001) and the cognitive scores were statistically improved in only the experimental group (P<0.001), and the depression scores were also significantly improved in only the experimental group (P<0.01). The dietary intake showed a 30% improvement for consuming more than 7 cups per day of vegetables and fruits. When the participants were contacted four months after the end of the study, 90% of them said that the Korean-style Mediterranean diet was feasible and 100% said the nutrition interventions helped them maintain the diet during their daily lives. The results suggest that although the Mediterranean diet can be difficult to apply, any limitations of this healthy diet can be overcome.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Dementia , Depression , Diet , Diet, Mediterranean , Fruit , Vegetables , WalkingABSTRACT
Dementia, characterized by a progressive cognitive decline and a cumulative inability to behave independently, is highly associated with other diseases. Various cardiovascular disorders, such as coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation, are well-known risk factors for dementia. Currently, increasing evidence suggests that sex factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of diseases, including cardiovascular disease and dementia. Recent studies show that nearly two-thirds of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease are women; however, the incidence difference between men and women remains vague. Therefore, studies are needed to investigate sex-specific differences, which can help understand the pathophysiology of dementia and identify potential therapeutic targets for both sexes. In the present review, we summarize sex differences in the prevalence and incidence of dementia by subtypes. This review also describes sex differences in the risk factors of dementia and examines the impact of risk factors on the incidence of dementia in both sexes.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Alzheimer Disease , Atrial Fibrillation , Cardiovascular Diseases , Coronary Artery Disease , Dementia , Incidence , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sex Characteristics , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of usual care management (UCM) and a newly-developed lifestyle modification with contingency management (LMCM) for geriatric depressive symptoms in the community. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 93 older adults with major depressive disorder at community mental health centers. A 12 week multi-domain LMCM was developed by providing positive reinforcement using ‘gold medal stickers’ as a symbolic incentive to motivate their participation and adherence. Participants were allocated to LMCM (n=47) and UCM (n=46) groups. They were then subjected to the 12 week treatment. Effects of the two intervention methods on Geriatric Depression Scale were determined using mixed model analysis. RESULTS: Participants in the LMCM group had greater decline in GDS score per month than participants in the UCM group after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, living alone, and MMSE scores at baseline examination [coefficient for GDS score (95% CI): -1.08 (-1.51, -0.65), p < 0.001, reference: UCM group]. CONCLUSION: LMCM is safe and easy to use with a low cost. LMCM is suitable as psychosocial intervention for older adults with depressive symptoms in the community.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Humans , Community Mental Health Centers , Depression , Depressive Disorder, Major , Education , Life Style , Motivation , Numismatics , Reinforcement, PsychologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Motor, perceptual, and cognitive functions are known to affect driving competence. Subcortical ischemic changes on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reflect reduction in cognitive and motor performance. However, few studies have reported the relationship between subcortical ischemic changes and driving competence of the elderly. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between subcortical ischemic changes on MRI and driving abilities of the elderly. METHODS: Participants (n=540) were drawn from a nationwide, multicenter, hospital-based, longitudinal cohort. Each participant underwent MRI scan and interview for driving capacity categorized into ‘now driving’ and ‘driving cessation (driven before, not driving now)’. Participants were divided into three groups (mild, n=389; moderate, n=116; and severe, n=35) depending on the degree of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on MRI at baseline. Driving status was evaluated at follow-up. Statistical analyses were conducted using χ2 test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), structured equation model (SEM), and generalized estimating equation (GEE). RESULTS: In SEM, greater baseline degree of WMH was directly associated with driving cessation regardless of cognitive or motor dysfunction (β=-0.110, p < 0.001). In GEE models after controlling for age, sex, education, cognitive, and motor dysfunction, more severe change in the degree of WMH was associated with faster change from ‘now driving’ state to ‘driving cessation’ state over time in the elderly (β=-0.508, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In both cross-sectional and longitudinal results, the degree of subcortical ischemic change on MRI might predict driving cessation in the elderly.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Brain , Cognition , Cohort Studies , Education , Follow-Up Studies , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Mental Competency , White MatterABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of community-based Goal-Achieving program in geriatric depressive symptoms preliminarily. METHODS: We obtained data from elderly Korean subjects with major depressive disorder (n=51) aged 60 years or older at baseline, taking case management from community mental health center. Subjects were randomly assigned to intervention group (n=24) and control group (n=27). We investigated depressive symptoms through Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale-Korean version (SGDS-K) at baseline and every month for 3 months to all subjects. We tested interaction between group and time in SGDS-K score to evaluate the effect of program. And post hoc test examined between group differences of SGDS-K at each time points. RESULTS: In quadratic linear mixed effects model analysis, interaction between group and time was statistically significant (Total SGDS-K score : coefficient=0.29, p<0.001 ; SGDS-K dysphoria subscale : 0.18, p<0.001 ; SGDS-K hopelessness subscale : 0.05, p=0.089 ; SGDS-K cognitive impairment subscale : 0.06, p=0.003). And significant between group difference was shown in post hoc test at time points of third month (SGDS-K score of control group : SGDS-K score of intervention group=10.74±3.482 : 7.25±4.475, p=0.0184). CONCLUSION: These results may suggest that ‘Community-based the Goal-Achieving program’ has efficacy in reducing geriatric depressive symptoms.
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Aged , Humans , Case Management , Cognition Disorders , Depression , Depressive Disorder, Major , Mental HealthABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their caregivers are concerned with the likelihood and time course of progression to dementia. This study was performed to identify the clinical predictors of the MCI progression in a Korean registry, and investigated the effects of medications without evidence, frequently prescribed in clinical practice. METHODS: Using a Korean cohort that included older adults with MCI who completed at least one follow-up visit, clinical characteristics and total medical expenses including prescribed medications were compared between two groups: progressed to dementia or not. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS: During the mean 1.42±0.72 years, 215 (27.63%) of 778 participants progressed to dementia. The best predictors were age [hazard ratio (HR), 1.036; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.006–1.067; p=0.018], apolipoprotein ε4 allele (HR, 2.247; 95% CI, 1.512–3.337; p<0.001), Clinical Dementia Rating scale-sum of boxes scores (HR, 1.367; 95% CI, 1.143–1.636; p=0.001), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scores (HR, 1.035; 95% CI, 1.003–1.067; p=0.029), and lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores (HR, 0.892; 95% CI, 0.839–0.949; p<0.001). Total medical expenses were not different. CONCLUSIONS: Our data are in accordance with previous reports about clinical predictors for the progression from MCI to dementia. Total medical expenses were not different between groups with and without progression.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Activities of Daily Living , Alleles , Apolipoproteins , Caregivers , Cholinesterase Inhibitors , Cohort Studies , Dementia , Follow-Up Studies , Cognitive DysfunctionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between late-life depression and resilience in the Korean community-dwelling elderly with depression. METHODS: The subjects were 102 depressed elderly people who lived in Suwon and Gwangju, Korea. Each subject was administered the questionnaires regarding the socio-demographic characteristics, Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale-Korean version (SGDS-K). RESULTS: In a cross-sectional aspect, BRS score were negatively correlated with SGDS-K score in the Pearson's correlation test (r=-0.301, p=0.002). After multivariable adjustments, linear mixed model analysis showed that subjects with baseline higher BRS score had significantly lesser SGDS-K score (β=-0.16, p=0.006). CONCLUSION: The level of resilience should be considered in predicting the change of depressive symptoms in the elderly.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Dementia , Depression , Korea , Mass ScreeningABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the association between alcohol use disorder and cognition in Korean community-dwelling elderly, especially the gender-specific difference. METHODS: Data obtained from 1,141 subjects (976 men and 165 women) aged above 60 years was analyzed from the Gwangju Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Study. All subjects completed the study questionnaire including demographic characteristics, history of current and past illnesses, drug history, Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), and cut down, annoyed, guilty feelings, eye-opener (CAGE), Short Form of Geriatric Depression Scale-Korean version (SGDS-K). RESULTS: Of the 1,141 subjects (mean age 72.17±6.20, mean educational level 6.50±4.48), 267 demonstrated alcohol use disorder (23.40%) and 874 were non-alcohol use disorder (76.60%). The mean of K-MMSE for alcohol use disorder group was 23.23±4.99, and for non-alcohol use disorder group was 23.70±3.94. When alcohol use disorder is accompanying, the decrement of K-MMSE score was 3.07 for female, and 0.35 for male. And we confirmed the interactive effect on K-MMSE score between sex and alcohol use disorder after adjusting for age, education level, depression (F=5.798, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study demonstrates an association between alcohol use disorder and cognitive impairment by gender in the elderly.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Alcohols , Cognition , Dementia , Depression , Education , Cognitive DysfunctionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine association of temporal discounting with well-being of Korean community-dwelling elderly. METHODS: The subjects of this research were 4,373 community-dwelling older persons without dementia. Each subject was administered the questionnaires regarding the socio-demographic characteristics, temporal discounting which was measured using standard questions in which participants were asked to choose between an immediate, smaller payment and a delayed, larger one. Outcome variable is Korean version of the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Statistical analyses including the Pearson's correlation test and logistic regression were performed in this study. RESULTS: At baseline, temporal discounting was negatively associated with WHO-5 in the Pearson's correlation test (r=-0.04, p=0.006). In a adjusted model for confounding variables, temporal discounting was negatively associated with WHO-5 [odd ratio (95% confidence interval)=0.57 (0.35–0.92), p=0.021]. CONCLUSION: Elderly individual with a higher temporal discounting (which indicates impulsivity) may have a lower quality of life.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Dementia , Logistic Models , Quality of Life , World Health OrganizationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify self-reported stressors in the Korean community-dwelling elderly and examine their effects on subjective well-being. METHODS: The subjects of this research were 1,010 elderly people who lived in Suwon, Korea. Each subject was administered the questionnaires regarding the socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported stressors, Concise Measure of Subjective Well-Being (COMOSWB) consisting of life satisfaction, positive emotion and negative emotion, Mini-Mental State Examination for dementia screening and Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale-Korean version. Statistical analyses including the Pearson's correlation test and multiple linear regressions were performed in this study. RESULTS: In our adjusted model for confounding variables, stress from physical problems (S-PP) (ss=-0.133, p<0.001), stress from loneliness or solitude (S-LS) (ss=-0.077, p=0.007), stress from family members (S-FM) (ss=-0.083, p=0.001) were negatively associated with the total score of COMOSWB. In subscale analyses of COMOSWB, we also found that S-PP (ss=-0.184, p<0.001), S-LS (ss=-0.077, p=0.014), stress from economic problems (ss=-0.072, p=0.021) were negatively associated with life satisfaction score. While S-PP (ss=-0.140, p<0.001) and S-FM (ss=-0.079, p=0.003) were negatively associated with positive emotion score, S-FM (ss=0.105, p=0.001) and stress from friends and neighbors (ss=0.072, p=0.016) were positively associated with negative emotion score. CONCLUSION: Stresses from physical problems, loneliness, and family members might be associated with subjective well-being in the elderly. While life satisfaction appears to be affected by one's perceived physical health status, loneliness, and economic conditions, positive and negative emotions appear to be affected by relationships with family members, friends, or neighbors.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Dementia , Depression , Friends , Korea , Linear Models , Loneliness , Mass Screening , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Head circumference (HC) has been reported to be an index of cognitive functioning in the elderly and in Alzheimer's patients. The object of the study is to find the relationship between HC and cognition. METHODS: A total of 7,603 subjects over 60 years of age were analyzed from preliminary data of Gwangju Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Study. HC was manually measured and cognitive functioning was assessed by the Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). RESULTS: Correlational analysis showed that HC was associated with age (r=-0.14, p<0.01), education (r=0.33, p<0.01), height (r=0.26, p<0.01), and K-MMSE (r=0.28, p<0.01). Also, even after adjusting for confounding variables (age, education, height, gender) the positive association between HC and K-MMSE score remained significant (beta=0.18, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that HC may play an important role in predicting cognitive impairment in the elderly.