Association between physical health status, health behaviors and subjective depression among single-person household

Social participation, health‐related behavior, and depression of older adults living alone in Korea

“…Furthermore, in accordance with findings from previous studies on health‐related behavior and depression (Jeong & Bae, ; Kim, ; Lee et al, ), this study also found that healthy dietary behavior (eating regularly) and regular exercise decreased the level of depression among older adults living alone. This finding emphasizes the importance of older adults' eating and exercising behaviors in determining not only their physical health, but also their depression, as older adults living alone are less likely to eat regularly, consume healthy food, and exercise (Lee et al, ).…”

“…Eating three meals a day and exercising regularly may not be difficult tasks for many individuals in other age groups. However, for older adults who live alone, eating and exercising regularly remain difficult tasks (Choi, Kang, & Kim, ; Kim, ; Lee et al, ). This population is thus at higher risk of malnutrition and is reported to be less healthy and to suffer from more chronic illnesses than their counterparts who live with others (Choi et al, ).…”

“…According to a report from the National Health Insurance Service in Korea (Lee, ), nearly 42% of patients who made hospital visits for depression in 2017 were above 60 years of age. Among the aged, those who live alone are also reportedly more prone to suffer from depression (Lee, Song, & Kim, ). A recent report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea () indicated that 30.2% of older adults living alone had depressive symptoms, while 16.4% of those living with partners and 21.7% of those living with adult children experienced the same.…”

“…al., ), and they are also more likely to be socially isolated (Stahl et al, ). Weakened or absent social relationships among older adults is considered a serious public health issue (Liu, Ozodiegwu, Yu, Hess, & Rie, ), as it is known to increase the risk of depression (Chou et al, ; Kim, ; Park, ; Lee et al, ; Stahl et. al., ).…”

“…al., ). Studies examining depression among older adults both in Korea and other countries have note that reduced social participation, social networks, and social support are strongly associated with an increased risk of depression (Arslantas et al, ; Chang & Kim, ; Chou et al, ; Dean, Kolody, Wood, & Matt, ; Lee et al, ). In particular, studies have shown that older adults tend to participate less in social activities compared to other age groups and that such limited participation has a significant effect on their physical and mental health (Dahan‐Oliel & Gelinas, ; Vogelsang, ).…”