Eating alone and depression in older men and women by cohabitation status: The JAGES longitudinal survey.
BACKGROUND
Eating by oneself may be a risk factor for mental illness among older adults, but may be influenced by cohabitation status. We examined the association between eating alone and depression in the context of cohabitation status in older adults in Japan.


METHODS
A longitudinal, population-based study.


METHODS
Data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.


METHODS
We analysed 17,612 men and 19,581 women aged ≥65 without depression (Geriatric Depression Scale <5) at baseline in 2010.


METHODS
Eating status was classified into two categories: eating with others and eating alone. The risk of depression onset by 2013 was estimated using Poisson regression.


RESULTS
After adjusting for socioeconomic status, physical health, nutritional status, social support, social participation, frequency of meet friends, employment status and marital status, the adjusted rate ratio (ARR) for depression onset in men who ate alone compared with those who ate with others was 2.36 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.18-4.71) for those living alone and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.81-1.32) for those living with others. Among women, the ARR for depression for those who ate alone compared with those who ate with others was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.00-1.72) for those living alone and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.01-1.44) for those living with others.


CONCLUSIONS
Eating alone may be a risk factor for depression. Among men, the effect of eating alone on depression may be reinforced by living alone, but appears to be broadly comparable in women living alone and women living with others.
Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan Department of Health and Social Behavior, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Yukako
Y
Tani
Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Yuri
Y
Sasaki
Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan Department of Health and Social Behavior, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Maho
M
Haseda
Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Katsunori
K
Kondo
Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan Department of Health and Social Behavior, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Naoki
N
Kondo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
depressive symptoms; eating alone; living alone; older people