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Clinical Trial
. 2018 Mar 26;13(3):e0193092.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193092. eCollection 2018.

Effects of cognitive impairment and functional limitation on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older Korean immigrants in the U.S

Bum Jung Kim  1 , Lin Liu  2 , Christabel Cheung  3 , Joonhee Ahn  4
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Effects of cognitive impairment and functional limitation on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older Korean immigrants in the U.S

Bum Jung Kim et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of cognitive impairment and functional limitation on depressive symptoms among older Korean American immigrants. The sample was drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 210 older Korean immigrants (aged 65 years or older) in Los Angeles County. Based on robust hierarchical regression, the study found that cognitive ability and functional status were significant explanatory factors related to depressive symptoms among older Korean immigrants. In addition, the interaction of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and cognitive function (MMSE) had a significant effect on depressive symptoms. This finding suggests that older Korean immigrants in the U.S. who experience deficits in cognitive function and/or IADL performance are vulnerable to psychological distress as indicated by depressive symptoms. Recommendations include implementing culturally-responsive health interventions aimed at enabling accessibility to dementia care services and supporting improvement of IADL performance among older Korean American immigrants.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Interaction effect of IADL and cognitive function (MMSE) on depressive symptoms.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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