The relationship between depressive mood and subjective health in centenarians and near-centenarians: a cross-sectional study from Korean centenarian cohort

Abstract

Background With the rapid increase in population longevity, more clinical attention is being paid to the overall health of long-lived people, especially centenarians. Subjective health, which is the perception of one’s health status, predicts both mortality and declining physical function in older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to subjective health among centenarians and near-centenarians (ages ≥95) living in a rural area of South Korea. Methods A total of 101 participants were enrolled from four different regions (Gurye, Gokseong, Sunchang, and Damyang), known as the Longevity Belt in Korea. Variables assessing physical and mental health, including the results of blood tests, were examined. Factors associated with good subjective health were identified with logistic regression analysis. Results Fifty-six participants (59.6%) were subjectively healthy among the centenarians and near-centenarians. Logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive mood was the only factor associated with subjective health and was negatively correlated. The regression model explained 39% of the variance in subjective health. Conclusions These findings emphasize the importance of mental health at very advanced ages. Because depressive mood negatively correlates with subjective health, more attention is needed to prevent and manage mood symptoms of people of advanced ages, including centenarians.