Social, physical, and cognitive health correlates of depressive symptoms among older adult residents of Igbaras, Iloilo, Philippines

Late-life depressive symptoms are influenced by the interaction of social, physical, nutritional, and cognitive factors; however, evidence from rural Southeast Asian settings remains limited. To examine the multidomain correlates of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in a rural Filipino setting, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 adults aged ≥60 years in Igbaras, Iloilo, Philippines. Structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to assess multimorbidity, nutritional status using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form, functional status using the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination, and depressive symptoms using the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form. Unadjusted group comparisons were performed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test, and exploratory multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios. Depressive symptoms were highly prevalent (91.2%) and predominantly mild (48.0%) or moderate (38.4%). Nutritional compromise affected 72.8% of the participants, whereas functional independence (98.0%) and preserved cognition (93.6%) remained common. Nutritional risk or malnutrition demonstrated an exploratory adjusted association with depressive symptoms (aOR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.07–4.69, p = 0.040). Overall, depressive symptoms were highly prevalent among older adults in this rural Filipino cohort, and nutritional vulnerability may be an important correlate of the burden of depressive symptoms. Further culturally contextualized longitudinal studies are recommended.