Factors Associated with Depression by Household Type among the Elderly in the Community

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors associated with depression by household type among the elderly in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The subjects were 72,812 elderly aged 65 and over who participated in the 2020 Community Health Survey. Multivariate logistic regression with complex samples was performed to analyze the data. The incidence of depression was higher in single-person households than in multi-person households. In single-person and multi-person households, depression was higher in women, those over 75 years old, those with middle school graduates or lower, those with a household monthly income of 1 million won or less, and those receiving basic living recipients. Factors related to depression among the elderly in single-person households were physical activity, sleep time, and drinking, among the changes in lifestyle due to COVID-19. Factors related to depression among the elderly in multi-person households were physical activity, sleep time, consumption of instant food, and alcohol drinking, among the changes in lifestyle due to COVID-19, and psychological concerns due to COVID-19. Promoting mental health and developing customized programs by household type is necessary to prevent depression in the elderly in the community.