Involuntary Weight Loss and Late-Life Depression in Korean Older Adults

Background: to investigate the association between involuntary weight loss (iwl) and late-life depression (lld) in a population-based cohort study. methods: data (n=6945) obtained from the 2008 baseline and 2011 follow-up assessments of the living profiles of older people survey in korea were used. changed body weight between the 2008 and 2011 was classified into stable weight (<-5% ~ <+5%), lightweight loss (≥-5% ~ <-10%), moderate weight loss (≥-10%), lightweight gain (+≥5 ~ <+10%), and moderate weight gain (≥+10%). results: compared to the stable weight group, the moderate weight loss group had a higher risk of lld (odds ratio=1.99, 95% confidence interval=1.61-2.46, p<0.001) even after adjustments for covariates, including age, bmi, education, income, life of solitude, smoking, physical activity, dependent aging, comorbidity, and cognitive function. conclusion: iwl is significantly associated with lld in korean older adults, implying the prognostic importance of iwl for presenting mental health issues later in life.