BACKGROUND: Elderly depression affects the overall health and quality of life of institutionalized men. PURPOSE: This study explored the relationship between depression and health status in institutionalized male veterans in Taiwan. METHODS: This survey study used a cross-sectional research design and recruited 152 elderly male residents of a veterans' home in northern Taiwan. A validated questionnaire assessed depression, health status, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: More than one fifth of the subjects (21.7%) exhibited depression. Those with poor general health status (odds ratio [OR] = 7.9, p < .001), relatively high levels of dependence on others for daily physical activities (OR = 4.6, p = .002), or self-perceived negative influences of chronic diseases on daily living (OR = 11.7, p < .001) faced the highest prevalence of depression. Subjects with hypertension (OR = 2.3, p = .034), cataracts (OR = 3.7, p = .007), or liver disease (OR = 8.1, p = .006) had the highest prevalence of depression. Identified risk factors of depression among the elderly male veterans included self-perceived negative influence of chronic diseases on daily living (adjusted OR = 10.2, p < .001) and cataracts (adjusted OR = 4.3, p = .023). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Geriatrician nurses should develop strategies to maintain general patient health and reduce the negative impact of chronic diseases and cataracts on daily life to reduce depression in institutionalized male veterans.
BACKGROUND: Elderly depression affects the overall health and quality of life of institutionalized men. PURPOSE: This study explored the relationship between depression and health status in institutionalized male veterans in Taiwan. METHODS: This survey study used a cross-sectional research design and recruited 152 elderly male residents of a veterans' home in northern Taiwan. A validated questionnaire assessed depression, health status, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: More than one fifth of the subjects (21.7%) exhibited depression. Those with poor general health status (odds ratio [OR] = 7.9, p < .001), relatively high levels of dependence on others for daily physical activities (OR = 4.6, p = .002), or self-perceived negative influences of chronic diseases on daily living (OR = 11.7, p < .001) faced the highest prevalence of depression. Subjects with hypertension (OR = 2.3, p = .034), cataracts (OR = 3.7, p = .007), or liver disease (OR = 8.1, p = .006) had the highest prevalence of depression. Identified risk factors of depression among the elderly male veterans included self-perceived negative influence of chronic diseases on daily living (adjusted OR = 10.2, p < .001) and cataracts (adjusted OR = 4.3, p = .023). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Geriatrician nurses should develop strategies to maintain general patient health and reduce the negative impact of chronic diseases and cataracts on daily life to reduce depression in institutionalized male veterans.
Authors: Stephen D Anton; Adam J Woods; Tetso Ashizawa; Diana Barb; Thomas W Buford; Christy S Carter; David J Clark; Ronald A Cohen; Duane B Corbett; Yenisel Cruz-Almeida; Vonetta Dotson; Natalie Ebner; Philip A Efron; Roger B Fillingim; Thomas C Foster; David M Gundermann; Anna-Maria Joseph; Christy Karabetian; Christiaan Leeuwenburgh; Todd M Manini; Michael Marsiske; Robert T Mankowski; Heather L Mutchie; Michael G Perri; Sanjay Ranka; Parisa Rashidi; Bhanuprasad Sandesara; Philip J Scarpace; Kimberly T Sibille; Laurence M Solberg; Shinichi Someya; Connie Uphold; Stephanie Wohlgemuth; Samuel Shangwu Wu; Marco Pahor Journal: Ageing Res Rev Date: 2015-10-14 Impact factor: 10.895