Socioeconomic Inequalities in Depressive Symptoms among Korean Older Men and Women: Contribution of Social Support Resources

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study explored the contribution of social support resources to the explanation of socioeconomic inequalities in depressive symptoms of older Korean men and women. @*Methods@#Data were derived from Living Profiles of Older People Survey (LPOPS), which comprises a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized Korean older adults living in the community. The data were analyzed by using multiple logistic regression. The sample consisted of 4,046 men and 6,036 women aged ≥65 years. The Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short form (SGDS-K) was employed as an outcome variable. @*Results@#Compared to the older men and women who were in higher socioeconomic status, those in lower socioeconomic status had significantly higher risk of depressive symptoms after adjusting for other covariates. When social support resources were individually included in the base model, each factor contributed to inequalities in depressive symptoms. Social networks explained about 20% of the differential impact of education and 10% to 15% of the differential impact of household income for depressive symptoms in men. Among women, it mitigated 23.6% to 39.0% of education and household income inequalities for depressive symptoms. Social participation contributed to buffer depressive symptom inequalities of 24.0% to 46.3% among men and those of 11.7% to 45.3% among women. @*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest community care nurses acknowledge the value of social support resources to alleviate socioeconomic inequality in depressive symptoms among older men and women.