Air pollution and symptoms of depression in elderly adults
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Air pollution and symptoms of depression in elderly adults. / Lim, Youn-Hee; Kim, Ho; Kim, Jin Hee; Bae, Sanghyuk; Park, Hye Yin; Hong, Yun-Chul.
In: Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 120, No. 7, 2012, p. 1023-1028.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Air pollution and symptoms of depression in elderly adults
AU - Lim, Youn-Hee
AU - Kim, Ho
AU - Kim, Jin Hee
AU - Bae, Sanghyuk
AU - Park, Hye Yin
AU - Hong, Yun-Chul
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - BACKGROUND: Although the effect of air pollution on various diseases has been extensively investigated, few studies have examined its effect on depression.OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of air pollution on symptoms of depression in an elderly population.METHODS: We enrolled 537 participants in the study who regularly visited a community center for the elderly located in Seoul, Korea. The Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (SGDS-K) was used to evaluate depressive symptomatology during a 3-year follow-up study. We associated ambient air pollutants with SGDS-K results using generalized estimating equations (GEE). We also conducted a factor analysis with items on the SGDS-K to determine which symptoms were associated with air pollution.RESULTS: SGDS-K scores were positively associated with interquartile range (IQR) increases in the 3-day moving average concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) [17.0% increase in SGDS-K score, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.9%, 30.5%], the 0-7 day moving average of nitrogen dioxide [NO2; 32.8% (95% CI: 12.6%, 56.6%)], and the 3-day moving average of ozone [O3; 43.7% (95% CI: 11.5%, 85.2%)]. For these three pollutants, factor analysis showed that air pollution was more strongly associated with emotional symptoms such as feeling happy and satisfied than with somatic or affective symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that increases in PM10, NO2, and O3 may increase depressive symptoms among the elderly. Of the symptoms evaluated, ambient air pollution was most strongly associated with emotional symptoms.
AB - BACKGROUND: Although the effect of air pollution on various diseases has been extensively investigated, few studies have examined its effect on depression.OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of air pollution on symptoms of depression in an elderly population.METHODS: We enrolled 537 participants in the study who regularly visited a community center for the elderly located in Seoul, Korea. The Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (SGDS-K) was used to evaluate depressive symptomatology during a 3-year follow-up study. We associated ambient air pollutants with SGDS-K results using generalized estimating equations (GEE). We also conducted a factor analysis with items on the SGDS-K to determine which symptoms were associated with air pollution.RESULTS: SGDS-K scores were positively associated with interquartile range (IQR) increases in the 3-day moving average concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) [17.0% increase in SGDS-K score, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.9%, 30.5%], the 0-7 day moving average of nitrogen dioxide [NO2; 32.8% (95% CI: 12.6%, 56.6%)], and the 3-day moving average of ozone [O3; 43.7% (95% CI: 11.5%, 85.2%)]. For these three pollutants, factor analysis showed that air pollution was more strongly associated with emotional symptoms such as feeling happy and satisfied than with somatic or affective symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that increases in PM10, NO2, and O3 may increase depressive symptoms among the elderly. Of the symptoms evaluated, ambient air pollution was most strongly associated with emotional symptoms.
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Air Pollution/adverse effects
KW - Depressive Disorder/epidemiology
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Nitrogen Dioxide/toxicity
KW - Ozone/toxicity
KW - Particulate Matter/toxicity
U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1104100
DO - 10.1289/ehp.1104100
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 22514209
VL - 120
SP - 1023
EP - 1028
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
SN - 0091-6765
IS - 7
ER -
ID: 230072217