Frequency of Contact with Non-Cohabitating Grandchildren and Risk of Depression in Elderly : A Community-Based 3-Year Longitudinal Study in Korea

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to assess longitudinal association of frequency of contact with non-cohabitating grandchildren and risk of depression in elderly.METHODS: Elderly were included from Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea who met inclusion criteria.(n=5,479) We defined infrequent contact with grandchildren as <1 time per month face to face contact or <1 time per week phone contact. Depression was measured at baseline survey and follow up survey, 3 years after, using the Korean version of 15-item Geriatric Depression Scales. We measured longitudinal associations between frequency of contact at baseline and geriatric depression at follow up.RESULTS: In adjusted model, elderly with infrequent phone contact with grandchildren had adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.30 [confidence interval (CI) 1.08–1.57] when compared with elderly with frequent phone contact. Elderlies with infrequent face-toface contact with grandchildren had adjusted OR of 1.06 (95% CI 0.91–1.25) when compared with elderly with frequent face-toface contact. Interaction between infrequent phone contact and infrequent face-to-face contact was not significant.CONCLUSION: This result proposes that the risk of subsequent depression in elderly is associated with frequency of phone contact with non-cohabitating grandchildren at baseline.