Olfactory impairment in older adults is associated with depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life scores

Bamini Gopinath, Kaarin J. Anstey, Carolyn Sue, Annette Kifley, Paul Mitchell*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives
We assessed the association between impaired olfaction and depressive symptoms and poor quality of life.

Methods
A total of 1,375 participants aged 60 years or older had their olfaction measured using the San Diego Odor Identification Test. Quality of life was assessed using the 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36). Depressive symptoms were assessed by either the SF-36, which included the Mental Health Index, and/or the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10).

Results
Among participants with olfactory impairment, 15.4% and 20.2% had depressive symptoms assessed by the Mental Health Index and CES-D-10, respectively. Among participants aged 70 years or older, olfactory impairment was associated with depressive symptoms (assessed by the CES-D-10), multivariate-adjusted odds ratio, OR: 1.66 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03–2.66). Subjects with olfactory impairment compared to those without, had lower SF-36 scores in six out of the eight indices.

Conclusions
Olfactory impairment was independently associated with depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)830-834
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Volume19
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Blue Mountains Eye Study
  • depressive symptoms
  • olfactory impairment
  • older adults
  • quality of life
  • SF-36

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