A Study on the Correlations among the Depression. Social Support and Quality of Life of the Elderly in Rural Areas

농촌 노인의 우울, 사회적 지지 및 삶의 질과의 관계

Purpose: This study was to identify the relationships among the depression, social support and quality of life of the elderly in rural areas. Method: The subjects of this study were 199 people aged over 60 who had been living in three rural area. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey from the 10th of July to the 10th of August 2003. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA. Duncan's multiple-range test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple stepwise regression with SPSS & SAS. Result: The average depression score was 11.09. As for the score of social support by supporter, the score of spouse' support was 13.36 out of 18 points, children's support 13.27, friends' support 11.40, neighbors' support 10.21 and siblings' support 10.20. The average score of quality of life was 132.26 out of 220 points. As for the score of the sub-areas of quality of life, the score was highest in economic status(32.18) and lowest in neighbor relationship (16.42). The score of quality of life was negatively correlated with the score of depression (r=-.014) and positively with the score of social support (r=.338). The suitable regression from the results of the multiple regression analysis to investigate factors influencing quality of life was expressed by y=58.341-$0.361x_1$+$1.492x_2$ ($x_1$: social support, $x_2$: depression) and $R^2$=.327. Conclusion: These results suggest that elderly people in rural areas with high quality of life is likely to be low in depression and high in social support. Therefore, it is necessary to develop health promotion programs in due consideration of depression and social support in order to enhance the quality of life of elderly people in rural areas.