Correlation between Quality of Life, Depression, and Cognitive Function of the Elderly Living in Gyeongsangnam-do

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to find out the correlation between the quality of life, depression, and cognitive function of the elderly, and to identify the causal relationship on each variable to provide basic data for elderly activities and related research and scientific basic data necessary to improve elderly welfare. Methods: A total of 821 samples were used for data analysis by selecting male and female seniors aged 65 or older as the population who participated in the Gyeongnam Niyagara customized service project program in 2022. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to find out the correlation, and regression analysis was conducted to verify the relevance. Results: First, as a result of analyzing the correlation of all variables, there was a significant negative correlation between quality of life and cognitive function (<i>p</i> = -0.104), there was also a significant negative correlation between quality of life and depression (<i>p</i> = -0.288). There was a significant static correlation between age and cognitive function (<i>p</i> = 0.070), and a significant static correlation between cognitive function and depression (<i>p</i> = 0.180). Second, as a result of conducting a regression analysis to confirm the causal relationship on each variable, the quality of life (F = 35.12, <i>p</i> = 0.000), cognitive function (F = 15.13, <i>p</i> = 0.000), depression (F = 47.00, <i>p</i> = 0.000) showed statistical significance, and age (F = 1.43, <i>p</i> = 0.233) showed no statistical significance. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is expected that various policies and follow-up studies will be conducted to improve the quality of life, relieve depression, and cognitive function health of the elderly.