Moon Min Hui, Kang Suk Woong, Choi Min Hyeok
Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Schools of Medicine, Pusan National University, 49 Pusan Daehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan-si, Yangsan, 50612, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea.
Office of Public Healthcare Service, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, 20 Geumo-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan-si, Yangsan, 50612, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea.
Int J Equity Health. 2024 Dec 18;23(1):263. doi: 10.1186/s12939-024-02361-7.
Families caring for patients with dementia are more vulnerable to depression. This cross-sectional study compared differences in socioeconomic status and gender related to depression among families of patients with dementia and identified associated factors.
Inequality in depression according to household income level among families of patients with dementia was assessed using the Korean Community Health Survey, which included a sample of over 200,000 participants. Depression prevalence was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and each independent variable was calculated. Significant differences were analyzed using the chi-square test. Complex-sample multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine the association between the income levels of families of patients with dementia and depression. Additionally, an analysis of depression, stratified by income level and gender, was conducted.
The prevalence of depression among families of patients with dementia was 4.41%. The odds ratio (OR) for depression among families of patients with dementia compared to the population of families without patients with dementia was 1.49. Depression was significantly more likely in families with lower income levels (adjusted OR [aOR]: 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.16-2.18). The magnitude of the impact of having a family member with dementia on depression varied by income level, being highest in the lowest income group (aOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.63-1.66) and lowest in the highest income group (aOR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.24-1.27). Stratification by gender showed that both men and women in families of patients with dementia were more likely to experience depression than those in families without patients with dementia. Women had a higher likelihood of depression across all income levels than men; however, the impact of having a family member with dementia was more pronounced among men, especially those from lower-income groups.
Our findings suggest the necessity for support policies tailored to low-income groups and women among families of patients with dementia. This is crucial given the higher prevalence of depression among families of patients with dementia than among families without patients with dementia.
照顾痴呆症患者的家庭更容易患抑郁症。这项横断面研究比较了痴呆症患者家庭中与抑郁症相关的社会经济地位和性别的差异，并确定了相关因素。
使用韩国社区健康调查评估痴呆症患者家庭中根据家庭收入水平划分的抑郁症不平等情况，该调查包括超过20万名参与者的样本。使用患者健康问卷-9（PHQ-9）评估抑郁症患病率，并计算每个自变量。使用卡方检验分析显著差异。进行复杂样本多变量逻辑回归以检查痴呆症患者家庭收入水平与抑郁症之间的关联。此外，还按收入水平和性别对抑郁症进行了分层分析。
痴呆症患者家庭中抑郁症的患病率为4.41%。与没有痴呆症患者的家庭人群相比，痴呆症患者家庭中抑郁症的优势比（OR）为1.49。收入水平较低的家庭患抑郁症的可能性显著更高（调整后的OR [aOR]：2.17，95%置信区间[CI]：2.16 - 2.18）。家庭成员患有痴呆症对抑郁症的影响程度因收入水平而异，在最低收入组中最高（aOR：1.64，95% CI：1.63 - 1.66），在最高收入组中最低（aOR：1.26，95% CI：1.24 - 1.27）。按性别分层显示，痴呆症患者家庭中的男性和女性比没有痴呆症患者的家庭中的男性和女性更容易患抑郁症。在所有收入水平上，女性患抑郁症的可能性都高于男性；然而，家庭成员患有痴呆症对男性的影响更为明显，尤其是来自低收入群体的男性。
我们的研究结果表明，有必要为痴呆症患者家庭中的低收入群体和女性制定支持政策。鉴于痴呆症患者家庭中抑郁症的患病率高于没有痴呆症患者的家庭，这一点至关重要。
