Abstract
Background and Objectives : Suicide related with depression is serious problem in Japan. This study aimed to clarify the association between depressive state and lifestyle factors in a rural area in Gunma prefecture. Subjects and Methods : In a rural village in Japan, 144 men and 217 women were recruited to answer the "Kokoro check sheet" (KCS), a depression screening questionnaire. We divided the subjects into 4 groups by sex and age, and the structural equation models (SEM) were separately fitted to explore the association between depressive state and lifestyle factors for these 4 groups. Results : The two latent variables were associated with depressive state in all 4 models, where the first one was common to all 4 groups, termed ‘social dysfunction’. The second latent variables were ‘affluent life’ in males younger than age 60, ‘good human relation’ in elder males, ‘sickness’ in females younger than age 60, and ‘introversion’ in elder females, respectively. Conclusion : The relationship structures of lifestyle factors and depressive state differed by sex and age but the social dysfunction. Sex and age specific intervention measures might be needed.
