ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DEPRESSION AMONG OLDER ADULT WITH DIABETES IN INDONESIA: ANALYSIS OF THE 2023 HEALTH SURVEY

HUBUNGAN ANTARA AKTIVITAS FISIK DAN DEPRESI PADA LANSIA DENGAN DIABETES DI INDONESIA: ANALISIS SURVEI KESEHATAN INDONESIA TAHUN 2023

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a common mental health problem among older adults with chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus (DM). Physical activity has been shown to improve psychological well-being; however, evidence among Indonesian elderly with DM remains limited. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized secondary data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey. A total of 4,130 respondents aged ≥60 years diagnosed with DM were included. Depression status was recorded based on the mental health indicators available in the national survey dataset. Physical activity was categorized into vigorous and moderate activity. Additional variables included age, sex, marital status, education level, employment status, place of residence, and diabetes type. Weighted chi-square tests were used to assess the association between variables, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Depression prevalence was 6.8%. Significant associations were observed between depression and vigorous activity (p < 0.001) and moderate activity (p < 0.001). Older adults not engaging in vigorous activity had higher depression (6.3%) than active individuals (0.5%). Similarly, those without moderate activity reported higher depression (4.3%) compared with active respondents (2.4%). Depression was also significantly associated with sex, age, marital status, education, employment, and residence (all p < 0.05). Diabetes type showed no significant relationship (p = 0.151). Conclusion: Physical activity demonstrates a protective effect against depression among Indonesian elderly with diabetes. Integrating regular physical activity into community-based elderly health programs may support promotive and preventive mental health interventions.