Profiles Of Older People Survey Research Articles

Depressive symptoms and all-cause mortality in Korean older adults: A 3-year population-based prospective study.

To examine the association between depressive symptoms and all-cause mortality in a population-based prospective study. Data from the 2008 baseline and 2011 follow-up assessments of the Living Profiles of Older People Survey involving 14 976 Korean adults aged ≥60 years (59% women) were used. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score of ≥8 on the self-administered Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. During the 3-year follow-up period, 873 deaths from all causes (372 women) occurred. The Cox proportional regression analyses showed that older men (hazard ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.83-2.62, P < 0.001) and women (hazard ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval 1.25-1.89, P < 0.001) with baseline depressive symptoms were at significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality independent of age, as compared with older men (hazard ratio 1) and women (hazard ratio 1) without baseline depressive symptoms, respectively. When additionally controlled for body mass index, socioeconomic status, health behaviors and health conditions, however, the risk of baseline depressive symptoms for all-cause mortality still remained significant in men only (hazard ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.80, P = 0.008), but not in women only (hazard ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 0.98-1.66, P = 0.086). The current findings suggest that the prognostic importance of depressive symptoms for all-cause mortality might be sex-specific in Korean older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 950-956.

Impact of Living Alone on Depressive Symptoms in Older Korean Widows.

We examined the relationship between living alone and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in older Korean widows and assessed the individual contributions of health, social ties, and socioeconomic factors to the development of depressive symptoms. The study was a secondary analysis using data from widows, 65 years of age and older, who participated in the Living Profiles of Older People Survey (LPOPS). A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the contributions of health, social ties, and socioeconomic factors to the development of depressive symptoms. Working status and equivalent household income were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in both those living with others and those living alone. Adjustment for health status and social ties did not change the impact of living alone on the prevalence of depressive symptoms. However, adjustment for equivalent household income eliminated the negative association between living alone and depressive symptoms. Our findings indicate that economic resources are more important than health and social ties for alleviating the negative impact of living alone on the development of depressive symptoms in older widows.

Depression mediates the association between physical inactivity and cognitive impairment in Korean older adults.

This study investigated the association between physical activity and cognitive impairment in older adults. Data from 10245 Korean adults (4428 men and 5817 women) who participated in the 2008 baseline survey of the living profiles of older people survey were used for this analysis. Compared with low PA men, moderate PA men only had significantly lower odds-ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) (OR=0.795, 95% CI: 0.654~0.965, P=0.021) for having cognitive impairment even after adjusting for measured covariates, which was no longer significant when additionally adjusted for depressive symptoms (OR=0.862, 95% CI: 0.707~1.051, P=0.143). Compared with low PA women, moderate- and high PA women had significantly lower risks of cognitive impairment (OR=0.830, 95% CI: 0.712~0.969, P=0.018 and OR=0.784, 95% CI: 0.651~0.943, P=0.010, respectively) even after adjusted for the measured covariates, which was no longer significant when additionally adjusted for depressive symptoms (OR=0.897, 95% CI: 0.776~1.049, P=0.173 and OR=0.919, 95% CI: 0.761~1.111, P=0.385, respectively). These findings suggest that depression mediates the inverse relationship between physical activity and cognitive decline among older adults.

The Evaluation of Feasibility and Predictive Validity of Comprehensive Korean Frailty Instrument: Using the 2008 and 2011 Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea

Purpose: This study aimed to verify the predictive validity of Comprehensive Korean Frailty Instrument (CKFI) among older adults. Methods: A secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study was conducted. Frailty was determined in older adults (N=9,188) according to the data in 2008 and th...

Slower gait speed predicts decline in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in community-dwelling elderly: 3-year prospective finding from Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea

Background/PurposeSlower gait speed is a good predictor of falls, dependency, disability, and mortality. However, the cutoff point of the gait speed to best predict the bad outcomes is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the cutoff point of gait speed that best predicts Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) dependency. MethodsThe study targeted 8000 people aged ≥ 65 years who had been enrolled in 2008 and followed up in 2011 for the Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea. The population was divided into an independent group and a dependent group with 2011 Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL) scores of 10 and ≥ 11, respectively. The gait speed was measured as the time taken to walk 2.5 m at a usual pace without any help, and the best result of two trials was chosen for analysis. ResultsThe area under the curve was highest (0.642) at gait speed of 0.6 m/s, with a sensitivity and specificity of 68.44% and 55.09%, respectively. The dependency hazard ratio of IADL was statistically significant in the group with gait speed less than 0.6 m/s, 1.974 (95% confidence interval, 1.646–2.367). The dependency hazard ratio of IADL was also statistically significant in the same group after adjusting for all relevant variables, 1.613 (95% confidence interval, 1.332–1.955). ConclusionThe gait speed of 0.6 m/s may be considered as the new standard of a screening tool to predict IADL dependency in Korean people aged ≥ 65 years.

O-008: Cutoff point of gait speed to predict falls, dependence, and mortality in Korean community-dwelling elderly: 3 year prospective finding from living profiles of older people survey in Korea

O-008: Cutoff point of gait speed to predict falls, dependence, and mortality in Korean community-dwelling elderly: 3 year prospective finding from living profiles of older people survey in Korea

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

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.

Physical frailty predicts medical expenses in community-dwelling, elderly patients: Three-year prospective findings from living profiles of older people surveys in Korea

BackgroundWith an aging population, medical expenses for elderly patients are increasing rapidly. Frailty is currently considered an important issue in geriatrics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of frailty on medical expenses in elderly Korean patients. Material and methodsData were gathered from the 2008 and 2011 living profiles of older people surveys (from August 11, 2008 to February 20, 2012) and included 5303 community-living Korean men and women, aged 65 years or older. The five-item frailty index was comprised of items on weight loss, exhaustion, weak grip strength, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. Frailty data were extracted from the 2008 living profiles of older people survey, and out-of-pocket medical expenses data were extracted from the 2011 living profiles of older people survey. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the correlation between frailty and medical expenses after adjusting for sociodemographics, health behavior, and health status factors. ResultsBaseline frailty assessments grouped patients as robust (43.3%), prefrail (49.3%), and frail (7.4%). After adjusting for sociodemographics, health behavior, and health status variables, frailty was found to increase out-of-pocket medical expenses (robust: ref., prefrail: β=0.087 and P<0.001, frail: β=0.143 and P<0.001). ConclusionOur findings suggested that frailty is an independent predictor of increasing medical expenses in community-dwelling elderly patients.

Frequency of contact with non-cohabitating adult children and risk of depression in elderly: A community-based three-year longitudinal study in Korea

PurposeOur study aimed to assess the longitudinal association of frequency of contact with non-cohabitating adult children and risk of depression in the elderly. MethodsElderly aged ≥60 years were included from Living Profiles of Older People Survey (LPOPS) in Korea. The baseline assessment, Wave 1, was conducted in 2008, and follow-up assessment, Wave 2, was conducted in 2011. We included participants who completed both waves and excluded those who met the following criteria: no adult children, living with adult children, cognitive impairment at either waves, and depression at baseline (n=4398). We defined infrequent contact as <1 time per month face-to-face contact or <1 time per week phone contact and classified participants into four groups based on contact method and frequency. Depression was measured using the 15-item geriatric depression scales (SGDS-K). ResultsIn multivariable logistic regression analysis, infrequent face-to-face and phone contact group had adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.86 (95% CI, 1.44–2.42) when compared with frequent face-to-face and phone contact group. Frequent face-to-face contact with infrequent phone contact group and infrequent face-to-face contact with frequent phone contact group had adjusted OR of 1.49 (95% CI, 1.12–1.98) and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.15–1.80), respectively, when compared with frequent face-to-face and phone contact group. ConclusionThese results propose that the risk of subsequent depression in elderly is associated with frequency of contact with non-cohabitating adult children. Moreover, the efficacy of face-to-face contact and that of phone contact were similar, while the group lacking both types of contact demonstrated the highest risk of depression.

Frailty and Body Mass Index as Predictors of 3-Year Mortality in Older Adults Living in the Community

Background: Frailty and body mass index (BMI) are known to be predictive of late life mortality, but little is known about the combined effects of frailty and BMI on mortality. Objective: This study investigated the influence of frailty status and BMI category on mortality in older adults. Methods: Data were from the Living Profiles of Older People Survey, a national survey of community-dwelling older people in Korea, with a baseline study of 11,844 Koreans aged 65 years and older in 2008 and a 3-year follow-up for mortality. Frailty was categorized as not frail, prefrail, and frail, based on five indicators (weight loss, exhaustion, physical activity, walking speed, and grip strength). BMI (kg/m²) was classified as underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9), or obese (≥30.0). A Cox proportional model was used to analyze the association of the combined frailty and BMI categories with all-cause mortality, adjusting for sociodemographics and health-related factors. Results: Adjusting for covariates, compared with the normal-weight nonfrail counterpart, the underweight or normal-weight prefrail/frail status demonstrated significantly increased rates of death. The obese frail respondents showed a significantly higher mortality risk (hazard ratio, 3.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-13.28). The overweight prefrail/frail group, however, exhibited no significant association with mortality. Conclusion: Among older people who were of normal weight or underweight, greater frailty was associated with poorer survival. Whereas being overweight tended to be neutral of the influence of frailty on mortality, the obese frail exhibited a significantly elevated rate of death.

Association of cognitive impairment with frailty in community-dwelling older adults

Frailty is highly prevalent in older people, but its association with cognitive function is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the association between cognitive function and frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Data were from the 2008 Living Profiles of Older People Survey, comprising 10,388 nationally representative sample aged 65 years and older living in the community in South Korea. Frailty criteria included unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, low physical activity, and slow walking speed. Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Multinomial logistic regression models were constructed with frailty status regressed on cognitive impairment and subdomains of cognitive function, adjusting for covariates. Those who were frail showed a higher percentage of cognitive impairment (55.8% in men, 35.2% in women) than those who were not (22.1% in men, 15.6% in women). Cognitive impairment was associated with an increased risk of frailty in men (odds ratio (OR) = 1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25-2.60) and women (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.25-2.30) even after controlling for all covariates. Among the subdomains of cognitive function, time orientation, registration, attention, and judgment were associated with a lower likelihood of frailty in both men and women after adjusting for confounders. Among women higher scores on recall, language components, and visual construction were also significantly associated with lower odds of frailty. Cognitive impairment was associated with a higher likelihood of frailty in community-dwelling older men and women. Total scores and specific subdomains of cognitive function were inversely associated with frailty.