Association between Changes in Daily Life Due to COVID-19 and Depressive Symptoms in South Korea

We aimed to examine changes in daily life due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among younger (≤64 years) and older (≥65 years) individuals and to analyze their association with depressive symptoms. Raw data from the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey were used to analyze 228,485 individuals. Changes in daily life due to COVID-19 were measured using a questionnaire that evaluated changes in physical activity, sleep duration, instant food intake, and drinking and smoking status. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 scale, and logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between the two variables. This study confirmed a significant association between the two variables and found that the intake of instant food showed the largest difference in odds ratios between the younger (OR: 1.851; 95% CI: 1.720-1.992) and older groups (OR: 1.239; 95% CI: 1.060-1.447). A major finding of this study is that the analysis of the association between the two variables revealed a stronger correlation in more variables in the younger population compared to the older population. To address COVID-19-related depression and prepare for potential mental health crises, countries should expand response measures.