Stress and Depression in Family Members of Patients with Dementia in Urban and Rural Communities: Cross-Sectional Surveys in Korea

BACKGROUND: We compared the associations of socioeconomic factors with stress and depression among family members living with a dementia patient in urban and rural areas of South Korea. METHODS: Data were collected from 9,730 (4,560 urban and 5,170 rural) participants in the Korean Community Health Survey from 2014–17. The variable of interest was the presence of a cohabitating dementia patient, and the dependent variables were stress and depression. RESULTS: Family members living with a dementia patient in rural areas had a significantly lower socioeconomic status (education, household income, marital status, and employment) than those living in urban areas (p<0.001). In addition, family members living with a dementia patient in rural areas reported statistically significantly less stress and depression than did those in urban areas after adjusting for related factors(rural stress OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.80–0.95; rural depression OR=0.75, 95% CI=0.66–0.85). Female gender and a low family income were associated with stress and depression in both rural and urban areas. Age, educational attainment, number of family members, marital status, and employment status differed slightly between urban and rural areas. CONCLUSION: The socioeconomic factors associated with stress and depression differ slightly in the rural and urban areas of South Korea.