The Association between Family Support, Activities of Daily Living and Depression among Hospitalized Older Patients with Chronic Diseases / 農村醫學 地域保健

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the association between family support, activities of daily living (ADL) and depression among hospitalized older patients with chronic diseases. METHODS: This study subjects were 100 elderly patients with chronic diseases including chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus and et al. in a general hospital. The collected data were patient characteristics, family support, ADL, and depression by structured questionnaire and medical chart review. The used statistical analyses were t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlational analysis and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean scores of family support, ADL and depression were 49.95±8.68, 8.65±2.65, 6.66±3.78, respectively. The prevalence rate of depression was 64.0%. In simple analysis, the statistically significant associated factors with depression were age, spouse, economic status, social activity, subjective health status, and number of pain. Depression had statistically a significant positive correlation with ADL and a negative correlation with family support. The final result of hierarchial multiple regression analysis (Model 3), the factors related to depression were family support (b=-.135, p<.001), subjective health status (b=2.510, p=.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to develop and apply the program for controlling the depression of elderly patients with health education, reinforcement of supportive systems in hospital. And, further multidisciplinary studies should be done.