Gender differences in the trajectory classes of depressive symptoms in Korean older adults

This study aimed (1) to identify gender-specific heterogeneous longitudinal patterns of depressive symptoms, (2) to explore the effects of economic status and various health conditions as risk factors in depressive symptom trajectories.

Data came from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2012) focuing on older adults aged 65 and older. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify the depressive symptom trajectory groups. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between economic and health status changes and the depresison trajectories.

Among older women, three change groups were identified: stable low, stable high, and moderate but slightly increasing groups. Among older men, four groups were found: stable low, moderate but rapidly increasing, high but decreasing, and moderate but slightly increasing groups. Among women, poverty experience and sustained poor health, particularly constantly low cognition, were significantly associated with the stable high group. Among men, deteriorating economic and health status were significant predictors of membership in the most vulnerable subgroup, the moderate but rapidly increasing group.

This study demonstrated among older adults, depressive symptoms change heterogeneously by gender. Identification of the most at risk subgroups among older men and women provides important initial empirical information to target clinical programs and policy development.