Influencing Factors of Depression and Stress of the Elderly in Seoul: Analysis of 2018 Community Health Survey Data

ABSTRACT

Objective@#This study analyzed the relationship between sociodemographics and health behaviors that affect depression and stress of the aged 65 or older living in Seoul in 2018. @*Methods@#The subjects were selected according to the purpose by receiving raw data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 5,753 respondents were analyzed. @*Results@#In depression, the demographic and sociological factors with differences were sex, marriage, single-person household,current basic living, economic activity and monthly income, and the health behaviors with significant differences were past smoking, diabetes and insufficient annual medical use. In the stress level, the demographic and sociological factors with differences were age, sex, current basic living, monthly income and education, and the health behaviors with significant differences were current/past smoking, diabetes and insufficient annual medical use. The factors affecting depression and stress were not completely consistent but similar, and both had low rates of expert counseling. @*Conclusion@#This study is meaningful in that it identified the factors affecting the depression and stress of the elderly especially in Seoul, the metropolitan city. If future research reveals additional factors, it will be helpful to suggest the direction of government policy and contribute to improving the quality of life of the elderly in the super-aged era.