Depression and Its Association with Health-Related Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women in Korea.

Hyejin Park,Kisok Kim

doi:10.3390/ijerph15112327

Abstract

Menopause is associated with depressive symptoms that can significantly affect a woman’s quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, participants (n = 3860) were selected from the 2013–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The sociodemographic characteristics, medical history of depression, and EQ-5D scores of the participants were obtained from the KNHANES dataset. Age, educational level, and income were associated with HRQoL in these participants. Moreover, depression exerted a considerable influence on HRQoL in postmenopausal women. The adjusted odds ratios in participants with depression for the EQ-5D dimensions were as follows: 5.52 (95% CI = 4.04–7.55, p < 0.001) for anxiety/depression, 3.86 (95% CI = 2.78–5.36, p < 0.001) for usual activities, and 2.52 (95% CI = 1.68–3.78, p < 0.001) for self-care. Our findings suggest a strong association between depression and HRQoL. Hence, preventing the onset or exacerbation of depression may significantly improve quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Highlights

IntroductionDepression is one of the most common mental disorders among elderly people (prevalence, 1–16%) [2]
The prevalence of depression is increasing worldwide [1]
In this report, we investigated the association between depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

Summary

Introduction

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders among elderly people (prevalence, 1–16%) [2]. Functional disability, cognitive impairment, and lack of social contacts, female gender is associated with depressive disorders in elderly populations [3]. Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that the prevalence of depression is higher in women than in men [4] by up to twofold [5]. This difference is thought to be related to changes in endocrines that control the reproductive system [6]. Estrogen interacts with its receptors in the limbic area of the brain, which is important for the regulation of emotions, cognition, and behavior [9,10]

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion