A Six Year Longitudinal Study of Older Korean Women with Functional Limitations, Chronic Pain, and Depressive Symptoms Who are Living Alone or in Multi-Person Households.

Objectives: This study examines not only the effects of functional limitations and chronic pain on depressive symptoms in older South Korean women, but also the moderating effect of living arrangements on these relationships.

Methods: This study employed a Correlated Random Effects model using panel data from Wave 5 to Wave 8 of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The final sample included 2,443 individuals and 8,360 observations.

Results: The more severe the degree of functional limitations and chronic pain, the higher the level of depressive symptoms in older Korean women. Furthermore, the results of the Correlated Random Effects model showed that the associations between functional limitations and depressive symptoms were more positive among women living alone.

Conclusions: Given the variation in depressive symptoms by living arrangement among older women with functional limitations, the findings underscore the potential importance of living arrangements in the quality of life of older adults in South Korea.

Clinical implications: With an increase in the older population, the number of older women living alone is also growing. To enhance the quality of life in old age, interventions related to geriatric primary care or home care would be needed for older women living alone.