Sun-Hee Kim, Youn-Jung Son

Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea


Background: Multimorbidity and suicide rates are on the rising among older Korean population. Recent studies have shown that multimorbidity is associated with increased suicidal ideation. Thus, this study was to inves- tigate individual factors of suicidal ideation among older Korean adults with multimorbidity.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a subsample (n=20,533) with multimorbidity aged 65 over of the 2017 Korean community health survey. Binary logistic regression model assessed the association of physical activity, sitting times, self-reported sleep duration, and depression with suicidal ideation in older adults with multimorbidity.
Results: Overall, 2,790 (13.6%) of the sample reported suicidal ideation within the past year. Logistic re- gression analysis showed that women, low monthly family income, low physical activity, long sitting times, in- appropriate sleep duration and depression were significantly associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation in older adults with multimorbidity.
Conclusions: To reduce the rate of suicidal ideation in older adults with multimorbidity, healthcare providers should be aware of the importance on routine assessment for physical activities, sleep pattern, and mental sta- tus of older adults in clinical settings. Particularly, female and low-income older adults with multimorbidity should be prioritized for early detection and individualized suicide prevention based on our findings.
Korean J Health Promot 2022;22(4):201-210

Keywords: Multimorbidity, Aged, Suicidal ideation, Community