Functional capacity and dependency in transfer and dressing are associated with depressive symptoms in older people.
BACKGROUND
This study examined associations between depressive symptoms and functional capacity, overall dependency in personal activities of daily living (ADLs), and dependency in individual ADL tasks, respectively, in people with a high mean age, large range of functional capacity, and wide spectrum of dependency in ADLs.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data from three studies were used. A total of 392 individuals living in community and residential care facilities were included. Mean age was 86.2 years, 72% were women, 75% were dependent in ADLs, 42% had depression, and 39% had dementia. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), functional capacity with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and ADLs with the Barthel ADL Index. Multiple linear regression analyses with comprehensive adjustments were performed between GDS-15 and BBS, GDS-15 and Barthel ADL Index, and GDS-15 and each individual ADL task, separately.


RESULTS
GDS-15 score was associated with BBS score (unstandardized b =-0.03, P=0.008), but not with Barthel ADL Index score (unstandardized b =-0.07, P=0.068). No significant interaction effects of sex, dementia, or living conditions were found in these associations. Among individual ADL tasks, dependency in transfer (unstandardized b =-1.03, P=0.007) and dressing (unstandardized b =-0.70, P=0.035) were associated with depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSION
Functional capacity seems to be independently associated with depressive symptoms in older people living in community and residential care facilities, whereas overall ADL performance may not be associated. Dependency in the individual ADL tasks of transfer and dressing appear to be independently associated with depressive symptoms and may be an important focus of future interdisciplinary multifactorial intervention studies.
['Boström|Gustaf|G|', 'Conradsson|Mia|M|', 'Rosendahl|Erik|E|', 'Nordström|Peter|P|', 'Gustafson|Yngve|Y|', 'Littbrand|Håkan|H|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D003858:Dependency, Psychological D003863:Depression D005260:Female D006801:Humans D057187:Independent Living D008297:Male D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
depression activities of daily living aged 80 and over independent living residential facilities