Exploring family support in relation to depression and nutritional status among older adults

Family support plays a key role in psychological well-being and overall health among older adults. This study investigated the relationships between family support, depression, and nutritional status, and whether family support levels vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between April and October 2025 with 281 older adults aged 65 and over living in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye, using a face-to-face interview method and a questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, the Mini Nutrition Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF), the Family Support Scale for the Older Adults (FSCOA) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

Depression was identified in 25.6% of the participants, while 49.5% had poor nutritional status. Statistically significant differences were observed in sex, marital status, educational status, and regular exercise status across family support groups (low,moderate,high; p < 0.05). Individuals in the high family support group had 67.8% lower odds of depression than those in the low group (OR = 0.322; p = 0.012), but family support group was not significantly associated with nutritional status (p > 0.05). When analyzed as a continuous variable, family support was not significantly associated with either depression or poor nutritional status (p > 0.05). Age and marital status were significantly associated with nutritional status and depression (p < 0.05). Interaction analyses showed that the relationship between family support group and both depression and nutritional status did not differ significantly by age, sex, or marital status (p > 0.05).

This study showed that family support group varied significantly across sociodemographic variables. While family support was not significantly associated with nutritional status, older individuals in the high family support group had lower odds of depression compared to those in the low group. Targeted support programs may be particularly relevant for sociodemographic groups with lower levels of perceived family support, such as men and those who are widowed, divorced, or never married.