Evaluation of an intervention program of depression prevention in the elderly: Focussing on the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and depressive symptoms

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24792579
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Community health/Gerontological nurisng
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: YAMAGATA EMI 京都府立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30570056)
• Research Collaborator: OKAYAMA Yasuko 同志社女子大学, 現代社会学部, 教授 (50150850) ; KIMURA Misaka 京都学園大学, バイオ環境学部, 教授 (90150573) ; YAMADA Yosuke 独立行政法人国立健康, 栄養研究所・基礎栄養研究部, 研究員 (60550118) ; KOMATSU Mitsuyo 京都府立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (20290223) ; SUGIHARA Yuriko 京都府立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90555179)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者 / うつ / 体力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objectives of this study were to clarify the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and depressive symptoms in the elderly, to develop an intervention program for depression prevention or improvement, and to validate this program. In the relationship between skeletal muscle mass, physical fitness and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling elderly, the depressive group show not only lower skeletal muscle mass but also lower physical fitness compared with non-depressive group. An intervention program including exercise and physical activity promotion with dietary and oral care advice was established. A study was conducted to examine the effect of the program. After the program, depressive symptoms, muscle thickness and physical fitness were significantly improved. This results suggest that this intervention program may be effective for preventing depressive in the elderly.

Free Research Field

老年看護学