Associations between constipation, overeating, and depression: A survey of Chinese oldest-old and centenarians

Depression is a common disease of elderly population, with a global prevalence of more than 20%. Few studies have involved the associations of constipation and overeating with depression, especially in the elderly population. We aimed to address these associations in Chinese oldest-old and centenarians.

A total of 1863 elderly individuals from 18 regions of Hainan, China, were investigated from July 2014 to December 2016. Health survey, physical examination, and blood analyses were performed through structured questionnaires and standard procedures. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to measure depression.

The proportions of elderly individuals with depression, constipation, and overeating were 20.80% (349), 15.14% (254), and 26.52% (445), respectively. The prevalence of constipation and overeating was significantly higher in the elderly group with depression than in those without depression (P < 0.05, all). In the multiple linear regression analyses, higher prevalence of constipation and overeating had positive and significant associations with the GDS-15 (P < 0.05, all). In the multiple logistic regression analyses, constipation (odds ratio [OR]: 2.328; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.540-3.521) and overeating (OR: 2.735; 95% CI: 1.920-3.898) had positive and significant associations with depression (P < 0.05, in all).

This study provides epidemiological evidence that constipation and overeating have positive associations with depression in Chinese oldest-old and centenarians. The interventions for constipation and overeating should be improved to promote prevention and treatment for depression and achieve successful aging and healthy longevity.