Lee Yunhwan, Shinkai Shoji
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2005 Jun;20(6):576-86. doi: 10.1002/gps.1313.
Cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms impose a heavy burden on the care of the elderly in Japan and Korea, two of the fastest aging nations in Asia. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare factors associated with cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms among older persons in the two countries.
In 2002, representative samples of community-dwelling people aged 65 and older were selected among residents in Anyang, Korea and Yoita, Japan. Mini-Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Scale were used to assess the elderly's mental status. Sociodemographics, physical function, chronic conditions, social support, and health behaviors were examined to identify significant associations.
The prevalence of cognitive impairment in older adults was 17.0% in Anyang and 14.6% in Yoita. The rates for depressive symptoms were 15.2% and 19.8%, respectively. Overall, functional capacity was the universal factor significantly associated with mental conditions. Self-rated health and social support were also found to be independently associated with depressive symptoms in the study subjects. Differences in the patterns of association by community, however, were notable for other characteristics. For example, in factors associated with cognitive impairment, sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, and education were significant among Koreans, whereas socio-behavioral factors such as obesity, social support and hospitalization experience were found to be significant for older Japanese residents.
Similarities in the patterns of association indicate the need for joint explorations into the role these factors play in affecting the mental health of older persons. Socioeconomic and regional differentials, however, may account for the disparity in the associations observed, suggesting the importance of developing mental health programs sensitive to the older individual's culture.
认知障碍和抑郁症状给日本和韩国这两个亚洲老龄化速度最快的国家的老年人护理带来了沉重负担。本研究的目的是调查和比较两国老年人中与认知障碍和抑郁症状相关的因素。
2002年，在韩国安养市和日本八幡市的居民中选取了65岁及以上社区居住者的代表性样本。使用简易精神状态检查表和老年抑郁量表评估老年人的精神状态。研究社会人口统计学、身体功能、慢性病、社会支持和健康行为，以确定显著关联。
安养市老年人认知障碍的患病率为17.0%，八幡市为14.6%。抑郁症状的发生率分别为15.2%和19.8%。总体而言，功能能力是与精神状况显著相关的普遍因素。在研究对象中，自评健康和社会支持也被发现与抑郁症状独立相关。然而，社区间关联模式的差异在其他特征方面很明显。例如，在与认知障碍相关的因素中，年龄、性别和教育等社会人口统计学因素在韩国人中具有显著性，而肥胖、社会支持和住院经历等社会行为因素在日本老年居民中具有显著性。
关联模式的相似性表明需要共同探讨这些因素在影响老年人心理健康方面所起的作用。然而，社会经济和地区差异可能是观察到的关联差异的原因，这表明制定对老年人文化敏感的心理健康项目很重要。
