Nutrition risk, functional dependence, and co-morbidities affect depressive symptoms in Taiwanese aged 53 years and over: A population-based longitudinal study

Objective: This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of nutritional risk, functional dependence and co-morbidities with depressive symptoms in people aged 53 years and over in Taiwan. Methods: Study data were obtained from a population-based longitudinal study, the Taiwan Longitudinal Study of Aging (TLSA), with a nationally representative sample of nearly-old and old Taiwanese. Results: The prevalence of having depressive symptoms and being at risk of malnutrition/malnourishment in 1999 was 23% and 21%. Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score, being at risk of malnutrition/malnourishment, number of self-reported co-morbidities, and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score were all cross-sectionally correlated with depressive symptoms (all p < .05). Being at risk of malnutrition/malnourishment and number of co-morbidities were also longitudinally associated with increased risk of subsequent depressive symptoms over four and eight years (all p < .05). The relationship between nutritional risk and subsequent depressive symptoms was stronger than the relationship between co-morbidities and ADL score and subsequent depressive symptoms. Conclusions: These results suggested that nutritional risk, co-morbidities and functional dependence are all associated with increased risks of depressive symptoms in people aged 53 years and above. Nutritional risk contributes significantly to subsequent depressive symptoms and is a strong and consistent predictor of subsequent depressive symptoms in nearly-old and old Taiwanese. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.