The Structural Equation Modeling of the Relationship between Depression and Blood Pressure with the Mediating Role of Nutritional Habits in the Elderly

Depression and blood pressure are the common disorders in the elderly and are effective in beginning and intensifying each other, so that mental disorders are the fourth main cause of death in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the structural model of the relationship between depression and blood pressure with the mediation of nutritional habits in the elderly.

This research was a descriptive study based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The research population included all the elderly people who referred to the health center of Falavarjan City, Iran, in 2019-2020, and 360 of them were selected by convenience sampling. Research tools included nutritional habits questionnaire, elderly depression questionnaire, and the Integrated Health System (SIB). Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics tests in AMOS and SPSS software.

According to the regression coefficient of -0.266 and the critical value of -3.57 and P = 0.051, the variable of nutritional habits can play the role of a mediating variable between the predictor variable of depression and the criterion variable of blood pressure and can explain it. In fact, the model had the ability to predict and fit.

According to the results of this research based on the relationship between depression, blood pressure, and nutritional habits in the elderly, simultaneous attention to somatic and psychological problems is necessary. Therefore, planning to diagnose and treat depression and its factors on time can be effective in improving health in the elderly, especially improving their mental health.