Participation in Physical, Social, and Religious Activity and Risk of Depression in the Elderly: A Community-Based Three-Year Longitudinal Study in Korea.

Hyun Woong Roh,Kang Soo Lee,Joung Hwan Back,Dongsoo Kim,Jai Sung Noh,Yunhwan Lee,Dae Ryong Kang,Ki Young Lim,Sang Joon Son,Ki Jung Chang,Byoung Hoon Oh,Chang Hyung Hong,Soojin Lee,Young Ki Chung,Jinhee Kim

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132838

Abstract

BackgroundWe examined the longitudinal association between participation in individual or combinations of physical, social, and religious activity and risk of depression in the elderly.MethodsElderly subjects aged ≥60 years who completed the Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea (n = 6,647) were included. The baseline assessment, Wave 1, was conducted in 2008, and a follow-up assessment, Wave 2, was conducted in 2011. We defined participation in frequent physical activity as ≥3 times weekly (at least 30 minutes per activity). Frequent participation in social and religious activity was defined as ≥1 activity weekly. The primary outcome was depression at 3-year follow up.ResultsMultivariable logistic regression analysis showed that subjects who participated in frequent physical, social, and religious activity had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.96), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.75–1.00), and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.67–0.90), respectively, compared with participants who did not participate in each activity. Participants who participated in only one type of activity frequently and participants who participated in two or three types of activities frequently had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75–0.98) and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.52–0.79), respectively, compared with participants who did not participate in any type of physical, social, and religious activity frequently.ConclusionParticipation in physical, social, and religious activity was associated with decreased risk of depression in the elderly. In addition, risk of depression was much lower in the elderly people who participated in two or three of the above-mentioned types of activity than that in the elderly who did not.

Highlights

Depression in the elderly is a public health concern attracting worldwide attention
Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that subjects who participated in frequent physical, social, and religious activity had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.96), 0.87, and 0.78, respectively, compared with participants who did not participate in each activity
Participants who participated in only one type of activity frequently and participants who participated in two or three types of activities frequently had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.86

Summary

Introduction

Depression in the elderly is a public health concern attracting worldwide attention. Ongoing research is focused on relevant biological, psychosocial, and environmental risk factors. In the past few decades, intensive efforts have been made to identify psychosocial risk factors for depression that allow modification and intervention [1,2,3,4]. Participation in physical and social activity has attracted much research attention. Owing to the current emphasis on spirituality, participation in religious activity has recently attracted research attention from psychiatrists and geriatricians as a factor responsible for increasing resilience or improving mood [9]. We investigated the association between these three promising lifestyle factors and the risk of depression in the elderly through a community-based 3-year longitudinal study in Korea. We examined the longitudinal association between participation in individual or combinations of physical, social, and religious activity and risk of depression in the elderly

Objectives

Results

Conclusion