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.