Family Support During Hospitalization Buffers Depressive Symptoms Among Independent Older Adults

Figures & data

Table 1. Participants’ Characteristics (N = 370).

	M (SD)/N(%)
Age	75.4 (7.1)
Gender: Women	149 (40.3%)
Ethnicity: Jews	245 (66.2%)
Family status: Married or living together	224 (60.5%)
Length of hospital stay (days)	6.1 (3.5)
Participation in WALK-FOR intervention: Included	187 (50.5%)
Comorbidity: CCI* (0–22)	2.1 (1.8)
Severity of illness: NEWS*(0–24)	1.5 (1.7)
Cognitive status: SPMSQ* (0–10)	9.1 (1.4)
Activities of daily living: BADL* (0–100)	89.9 (15.4)
IADL* (0–16)	11.3 (4.8)
Depressive symptoms at entrance: HADS*(0–21)	9.2 (3.4)
Family support (hours per day)	7.8 (3.3)

*CCI – Charlson Comorbidity score; NEWS - National Early Warning Score (Williams, 2022); SPMSQ - Pfeiffer Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (Pfeiffer, 1975); BADL - Modified Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living (Mahoney & Barthel, 1965); IADL - Lawton’s Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Lawton & Brody, 1969); HADS - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983).

Table 2. Interactive effect of cognitive status and family support on level of in-hospital depressive symptoms.

			95% CI
Effect	Estimate	SE	LL	UL	p
Constant	3.696	.450	−5.605	8.932	.653
Cognitive status	.315	.819	−.361	.876	.413
Family support	.310	1.981	.004	1.223	.048
Interaction Cognitive Status x Family Support	.034	−2.155	−.139	−.006	.032
Depressive symptoms at entrance	.048	9.050	.341	.530	<.001
Participation in WALK-FOR intervention	.319	2.277	.099	1.353	.023
Severity of illness	.091	2.888	.084	.443	.004
Sex	.322	1.688	−.090	1.176	.092
Jews	.366	−.796	−1.010	.428	.426
Age	.023	−.450	−.054	.034	.653
Comorbidity	.087	.730	−.108	.236	.466
Length of hospital stay	.046	2.271	.014	.193	.024

Figure 1. Interaction between family support and cognitive status.

Table 3. Interactive effect of independence in basic activities of daily living and family support on level of in-hospital depressive symptoms.

			95% CI
Effect	Estimate	SE	LL	UL	p
Constant	2.982	2.515	1.636	13.366	0.012
Basic activities daily living	.025	−1.000	−.075	.025	.318
Family support	.249	1.502	−.116	.864	.134
Interaction BADL x Family Support	.003	−1.715	−.010	.001	.087
Depressive symptoms at entrance	.050	7.000	.254	.452	.000
Participation in WALK-FOR intervention	.309	2.574	.188	1.402	.011
Severity of illness	.090	2.649	.061	.414	.008
Sex	.311	1.540	−.133	1.092	.124
Ethnicity	.354	−.701	−.943	.447	.484
Age	.021	−.633	−.056	.028	.527
Comorbidity	.086	.105	−.160	.178	.916
Length of hospital stay	.044	2.401	.019	.193	.017

Table 4. Interactive effect of independence in instrumental activities of daily living and family support on level of in-hospital depressive symptoms.

			95% CI
Effect	Estimate	SE	LL	UL	P
Constant	3.696	.450	−5.605	8.932	.653
Instrumental activities daily living	.315	.819	−.361	.876	.413
Family support	.310	1.981	.004	1.223	.048
Interaction IADL x Family Support	.034	−2.155	−.139	−.006	.032
Depressive symptoms at entrance	.048	9.050	.341	.530	.000
Participation in WALK-FOR intervention	.319	2.277	.099	1.353	.023
Severity of illness	.091	2.888	.084	.443	.004
Sex	.322	1.688	−.090	1.176	.092
Ethnicity	.366	−.796	−1.010	.428	.426
Age	.023	−.450	−.054	.034	.653
Comorbidity	.087	.730	−.108	.236	.466
Length of hospital stay	.046	2.271	.014	.193	.024

Figure 2. Interaction between family support and instrumental activities of daily living status.

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Data availability statement

The datasets used during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.