Effectiveness of a village-based intervention for depression in community-dwelling older adults: a randomised feasibility study

Relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in older Korean adults: moderation analysis of muscular strength

BACKGROUND

This population-based cross-sectional study examined the associations between physical activity (PA) and lower body muscle strength (LBMS) with late-life depression in a representative sample of older Korean adults aged 65 years and older.

METHODS

The data used in the current study (n = 10,097/60% women) were extracted from the 2020 Korea Longitudinal Study on Aging, which is a nationwide population-based survey conducted in Korea. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale Short-Form. PA and LBMS were evaluated with a self-reported questionnaire and the 5 times sit-to-stand test, respectively. Covariates include age, gender, body mass index, education level, smoking status, alcohol intake, and comorbidity.

RESULTS

Insufficient PA had higher odds of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 1.201, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.035-1.393, p = 0.016), even after adjustments for all covariates, compared to sufficient PA. Poor LBMS had higher odds of depression (OR = 2.173, 95% CI = 1.821-2.593, p < 0.001), even after adjustments for all covariates, compared to good LBMS. Particularly, a significant moderation effect of LBMS on the relationship between PA and depressive symptoms was observed (β = 0.3514 and 95% CI = 0.1294 ~ 0.5733, p < 0.001). Individuals with poor LBMS had a greater odd of depression associated with physical inactivity compared to their counterparts with good LBMS.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study support the importance of promoting muscular strength through regular exercise as a preventive strategy against late-life depression in Korean adults.

The Influence of Guozhuang Dance on the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults: The Chain Mediating Effect of Group Identity and Self-Efficacy

BACKGROUND

In the context of the gradually accelerating aging of the population, the subjective well-being of older adults has received extensive research attention. Guozhuang Dance is a collective aerobic exercise that plays an important role in the physical activity of older Chinese adults. Studying the intrinsic relationship between Guozhuang Dance and the subjective well-being can help improve the quality of life and well-being of older adults in their later years. This study was conducted in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China, where many older adults practice Guozhuang Dance. Previous studies pointed out that group identity and self-efficacy can influence well-being in a collective exercise.

METHODS

For this study, we recruited 520 adults (male = 228, female = 292) aged 65 years or older from Chengdu who participated in Guozhuang Dance, to conduct a survey to understand the effect of this exercise on their subjective well-being. The Guozhuang Dance exercise scale, the group identity scale, the self-efficacy scale, and the subjective well-being scale were used in the study. We used SPSS for the descriptive statistical analysis, and AMOS for the structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The results of the study show that Guozhuang Dance has a positive effect on enhancing the subjective well-being of older adults and can increase the subjective well-being through the chain mediating effect of group identity and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that effective measures should be taken to encourage older adults to participate in Guozhuang Dance, in order to enhance their subjective well-being.

Interventions addressing functional abilities of older people in rural and remote areas: a scoping review of available evidence based on WHO functional ability domains

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages healthy ageing strategies to help develop and maintain older people’s functional abilities in five domains: their ability to meet basic needs; learn, grow, and make decisions; be mobile; build and maintain relationships, and contribute to society. This scoping review reports the available evidence-based interventions that have been undertaken with people ≥ 50 years of age in rural and remote areas and the outcomes of those interventions relevant to enhancing functional ability.

Methods

The scoping review was undertaken following the JBI methodology. A literature search was carried out to identify published intervention studies for enhancing functional ability in older people living in rural and remote settings. The databases searched included CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest Central, PubMed, EBSCOHost, APA PsycInfo, Carin.info, and the European Network for Rural Development Projects and Practice database. Gray literature sources included government reports, websites, policy papers, online newsletters, and studies from a bibliographic hand search of included studies.

Results

Literature published from January 2010 to March 9, 2021 were included for review. A total of 67 studies were identified, including quasi-experimental studies (n = 44), randomized controlled trials (n = 22), and a descriptive study. Five main types of interventions were conducted in rural and remote areas with older people: Community Services, Education and Training, Exercise and Physical Activity, Health Promotion Programmes, and Telehealth. Health Promotion Programmes (n = 28, 41.8%) were the most frequently reported interventions. These focused primarily on improving the ability to meet basic needs. About half (n = 35, 52.2%) of the included studies were linked to the ability to learn, grow, and make decisions, and 40% of studies (n = 27) were relevant to the ability to be mobile. Only a very limited number of intervention studies were geared towards outcomes such as maintaining relationships (n = 6) and contributing to society (n = 3).

Conclusion

Interventions for enhancing functional ability focused primarily on the ability to meet basic needs. We identified the need for health-related interventions in rural and remote areas to consider all five functional ability domains as outcomes, particularly to strengthen the psychosocial wellbeing of older people and enhance their sense of purpose through their contributions to society.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03460-2.

Effectiveness of Social Support for Community-Dwelling Elderly with Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Depression in the elderly is an important health factor that requires intervention in the form of social support resources. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review, while synthesizing available evidence on what kind of social support, such as social participation and social connection/network, is effective for depression in the elderly. We performed a quality assessment of the included studies using the revised Risk of Bias for Non-randomized Studies tool and a meta-analysis of studies published up to 14 May 2021. Of the 3449 studies, 52 were relevant to this study. The various types of social resource applications reported in these were classified into three types: social support, social participation, and social connection/network. The social support group had significantly lower depression compared to the control group (0.72 [0.65, 0.81], p < 0.00001, I2 = 92%). There was a significant decrease in depression in the social participation group compared to the control group (0.67 [0.56, 0.80], p < 0.00001, I2 = 93%) (2.77 [1.30, 5.91], p = 0.008, I2 = 97%) (0.67 [0.56, 0.80], p < 0.00001, I2 = 93%). Finally, the social connection/network group showed decreased depression compared to the control group (2.40 [1.89, 3.05], p < 0.00001, I2 = 24%) (0.83 [0.76, 0.90], p < 0.00001, I2 = 94%). The results of this systematic review confirmed the effects of various social support interventions in reducing depression among the elderly living in the community.

The Relationship between Late-Life Depression and Cognitive Function in Older Korean Adults: A Moderation Analysis of Physical Activity Combined with Lower-Body Muscle Strength

Background: This study examined the relationship of physical activity (PA) combined with lower-body muscle strength to late-life depression and cognitive impairment in 10,097 participants (6062 females) ≥ 65 years of age. Methods: Exposures were PA, sit-to-stand test (STST), and depressive symptoms. Outcome was cognitive performance. Results: Depressed individuals had an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI; odds ratio (OR), adjusted OR = 1.845 and 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.580−2.154, p < 0.001) compared with non-depressed individuals. Individuals who had insufficient PA and a poor STST and either insufficient PA or a poor STST had an increased risk of MCI (adjusted OR = 1.329 and 95% CI = 1.209−1.46, p < 0.001 and adjusted OR = 2.822 and 95% CI = 2.488−3.200, p < 0001, respectively) compared with individuals who had sufficient PA and a good STST. A significant moderation effect of PA combined with lower-body muscle strength on the relationship between depression and cognitive function was observed (β = −1.3923; 95% CI = −2.1505 to −0.6341, p < 0.003). Conclusions: The negative effect of late-life depression on cognitive function was incremental in the order of sufficient PA and a good STST, insufficient PA or a poor STST, and insufficient PA and a poor STST.

Age-friendly interventions in rural and remote areas: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

In 2007, the World Health Organization published a guide on age-friendly cities. However, little is known about interventions that have been implemented to promote age-friendly communities in rural and remote areas. This paper presents the findings from a scoping review undertaken to locate available evidence of interventions, strategies, and programs that have been implemented in rural and remote areas to create age-friendly communities.

METHODS

This scoping review used the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology.

RESULTS

A total of 219 articles were included in this review. No intervention studies were referred to as 'age-friendly'. However, there were interventions (mostly healthcare-related) that have been implemented in rural and remote areas with older people as participants. There were also non-evaluated community programs that were published in the grey literature. This review identified the common health interventions in older people and the indirect relevance to the WHO age-friendly framework domains in rural and remote contexts.

CONCLUSIONS

The eight age-friendly domains were not explicitly utilised as a guide in the development of interventions for older people in rural and remote settings. Implementation of age-friendly interventions in rural and remote areas requires a multisectoral approach that is tailored to address the specific needs of individual communities. Age-friendly interventions also need to consider socio-ecological factors to adequately and holistically address community needs and ensure long-term sustainability.

The Effectiveness of the Integrated Care Model among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Depression: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial

Depression is the second-leading cause of disability among older patients worldwide. This study examined the effectiveness of the Integrated Care Model (ICM) intervention in decreasing depression, suicide ideation, and psychological symptoms and improving life satisfaction among old patients with depression living in communities. The participants were allocated to either the intervention (n = 67) or control group (n = 76) from July 2018 to November 2018. All participants received the usual geriatric care for three months in eastern Taiwan. Additionally, participants in the intervention group were treated according to the ICM, including the assessment and management of health problems, improvements in spiritual and mental wellbeing, helping with activities of daily life and mobility, providing social welfare resources, and prevention of elder abuse. The patients in the experimental group showed significant improvement in the group-by-time effect on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Brief Symptom Rating Scale, suicide ideation measures, and the Life Satisfaction Index over 18 weeks. The ICM should be included in routine geriatric care and adopted in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and communities