The relationship between lifestyle and the risk of depression among people living with someone who needs care: The Yamagata Cohort Study

Aim This study investigated the association between lifestyle habits and the risk of depression among people living with someone needing care in Japan. Methods Data were collected from those who participated in the Yamagata Cohort Study; 11 019 participants aged 40 and above were considered. The primary endpoints were living with someone in need of care and depression risk, and individual factors related to these endpoints were examined. Unadjusted and multifactor‐adjusted logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the risk of depression and personal factors among those living with someone needing care. Results Of the participants, 942 (8.5%) were living with someone who needed care. The proportion of participants who were at risk for depression was significantly higher among those living with someone needing care; this group also had significantly higher odds ratios than those at low risk of depression for the following factors: economic comfort: hardship; sleep duration: more than 9 h; getting enough sleep, including nights and naps: not enough; go out at least once a week: no; and walking or equivalent physical activity in daily life for at least 1 h a day: no. Conclusion To reduce the risk of depression among family caregivers, providing them with appropriate social and financial support is crucial. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; ••: ••–•• .