How do apathetic and depressive symptoms relate to functional capacity? A cross-sectional survey among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in Japan

• Published in: BMC public health 2024-11, Vol.24 (1), p.3171-8, Article 3171
• Main Authors: Oba, Hikaru, Kanda, Akira, Ihara, Kazushige, Tanabu, Asano, Shimoda, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Adults; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Apathy; Apathy - physiology; Behavior; Care and treatment; Cognitive ability; Correlation analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Depression, Mental; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Emotional behavior; Emotional factors; Emotions; Female; Frailty; Functional capacity; Health aspects; Humans; Independent Living; Information management; Interaction; Japan; Life expectancy; Male; Mental depression; Middle age; Middle Aged; Older adults; Older people; Public health; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Social media; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Technology assessment; Variance analysis; Victims of crime
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19091-8

Apathetic and depressive symptoms are frequently observed among older adults, and are risk factors for functional decline and dementia progression. However, how these symptoms influence functional capacity remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between apathetic and depressive symptoms and functional capacity, considering the interaction between apathetic and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey targeting community dwelling middle-aged or older adults was conducted. We sent a questionnaire to 984 individuals and received 320 responses. Data with missing values and participants aged under 50 were excluded, resulting in 212 participants (88 men and 124 women, mean age = 73.4 ± 9.3 years). Apathetic symptoms were evaluated using the Dimensional Apathy Scale (J-DAS), which comprises executive, emotional, and cognitive and behavioral initiation aspects of apathy. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Functional capacity was assessed using the Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence, which comprises technology usage, information practice, life management, and social engagement. Mean score of each J-DAS factor and GDS was 5.3 ± 3.4 (executive), 12.0 ± 3.0 (emotional), 11.8 ± 5.1 (initiation), and 4.5 ± 3.3, respectively. The emotional and initiation aspects of J-DAS were significantly associated with information practice (β = -0.15, p