Relationship between Metabolic Diseases (Diabetes and Hyperlipidemia) with Depression in the Elderly

Abstract

Background: Metabolic disorders and depression are common problems in old age that can affect the onset and exacerbation of each other. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of body mass index in the relationship between metabolic diseases (diabetes and hyperlipidemia) and depression in the elderly. Methods: The research method was descriptive and structural equation modeling. The study population comprised of all the elderly who were referred to Falavarjan health center in 2019-2020. On total, 360 old aged individuals were selected by simple random sampling using their electronic records. The research tools included body mass questionnaire, elderly depression questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha) and apple system (integrated health system). Findings: The results showed that there was a correlation between depression in the elderly and diabetes index, Body mass index (BMI), and blood cholesterol 0.81, 0.59, and 0.36 respectively, depicting a significant relationship. Also, body mass variable can play the role of mediating variable between depression and metabolic diseases. The explained model also had a good fit. Conclusion: According to the research findings, metabolic diseases are directly and indirectly related to depression in the elderly through body mass, so in programs related to lifestyle modification and improving the health of the elelderly, interventions for physical and psychological factors should be considered as well. © 2022 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.