title: A nationwide survey on the prevalence and risk factors of late life depression in South Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to estimate prevalence rates and risk factors of LLD among a large nationwide sample of Korean elders in South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 8199 randomly sampled Koreans aged 65 years or more, 6018 participated (response rate=73.4%). Using the Korean version of the short form Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K), we classified individual scoring 8 or 9 as having possible depression and those scoring ≥ 10 as having probable depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age-, gender-, education-, and urbanicity-standardized prevalences were 10.1% (95% CI=9.3-10.8) for possible depression, 17.8% (95% CI=16.8-8.7) for probable depression, and 27.8% (95% CI=26.7-29.0) for overall depression. Poverty, living alone, low education, illiteracy, smoking, history of head trauma, and low Mini Mental Status Examination score were associated with greater risk of depression, while mild alcohol use and moderate to heavy exercise were associated with lower risk of depression. However gender difference in the risk of depression was not found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LLD is decidedly common in South Korea. It was associated with various sociodemographic and clinical factors, some of which are amendable through policy actions. This study was limited by use of the SGDS-K rather than a standardized clinical interview.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University School of Medicine and Jeju National University Hospital, Jejudo, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myoung-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moon Doo
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bong-Jo
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Shin-Kyum
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong Lan
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seok Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jae Nam
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Jong Inn
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Seung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jong Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Nam-Jin
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Woo
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seok Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Jae
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Uk
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Man
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jin Hyeong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jhoo
authors.forename: Maeng Je
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors