This study aimed to assess whether night shift work is associated with the risk of depression by using a meta-analysis of observational studies. We searched PubMed and EMBASE in August, 2016 to locate eligible studies and investigated the association between night shift work and the risk of depression, reporting outcome measures with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) or relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In the meta-analysis of a total of 11 observational studies with 9 cross-sectional study, 1 longitudinal study, and 1 cohort study, night shift work was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression (OR/RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.24–1.64; I2 = 78.0%). Also, subgroup meta-analyses by gender, night shift work duration, type of occupation, continent, and type of publication showed that night shift work was consistently associated with the increased risk of depression. The current meta-analysis suggests that night shift work is associated with the increased risk of depression. However, further large prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm this association.

PurposeThe National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-Senior was set up to provide high-quality longitudinal data that can be used to explore various aspects of changes in the socio-economical and health status of older adults, to predict risk factors and to investigate their health outcomes.ParticipantsThe NHIS-Senior cohort, a Korean nationwide retrospective administrative data cohort, is composed of older adults aged 60 years and over in 2002. It consists of 558 147 people selected by 10% simple random sampling method from a total of 5.5 million subjects aged 60+ in the National Health Information Database. The cohort was followed up through 2015 for all subjects, except for those who were deceased.Findings to dateThe healthcare utilisation and admission rates were the highest for acute upper respiratory infections and influenza (75.2%). The age-standardised (defined with reference to the world standard population) mortality rate for 10 years (through 2012) was 4333 per 100 000 person-years. Malignant neoplasms were the most common cause of death in both sexes (1032.1 per 100 000 person-years for men, 376.7 per 100 000 person-years for women). A total of 34 483 individuals applied for long-term care service in 2008, of whom 17.9% were assessed as grade 1, meaning that they were completely dependent on the help of another person to live daily life.Future plansThe data are provided for the purposes of policy and academic research under the Act on Promotion of the Provision and Use of Public Data in Korea. The NHIS-Senior cohort data are only available for Korean researchers at the moment, but it is possible for researchers outside the country to gain access to the data by conducting a joint study with a Korean researcher. The cohort will be maintained and continuously updated by the NHIS.

Background: Frailty is a syndrome that involves decreased reserve capacity and loss of physiological function caused by aging. This study was done to develop a frailty index for the Korean elderly. Methods: The Korean frailty index 8-item questionnaire was established by a panel of experts from the Korean Geriatrics Society. Demographic characteristics, the cardiovascular health study (CHS) frailty index and the Korean frailty index were completed for 240 men and women over 65 years visiting three selected community senior's welfare centers from June 2009 to August 2009. Reliability was tested by internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and the test-retest reliability at a 2-week interval. Validity was tested by a criterion validity comparison between the CHS frailty index and the validity index estimated by the reliability index. Results: Cronbach's alpha was 0.65. The range of Kappa value for each item was 0.27-0.65. The Kappa value of the criterion validity comparison with the CHS index for the Korean frailty index was 0.5. The validity indexes for the items estimated by the reliability index ranged from 0.27-0.52 to 0.65-0.81. Conclusion: The Korean frailty index is a valid and reliable instrument. However, fine-tuning such as item-revision is needed prior to use in the practical setting.

Aim: Sharing clinical information across care settings is a cornerstone to providing quality care to older people with complex conditions. The purpose of the present study was to examine the reliability of the interRAI Long Term Care Facilities (interRAI LTCF) and the interRAI Home Care (interRAI HC), comprehensive and integrated assessment instruments with common core items, in Korea, an Asian county where comprehensive geriatric assessment is not widely used in long-term care. Methods:The Korean version of the instruments was developed through field tests, as well as multiple iterations of translations, back-translations and expert reviews. For the reliability test, a random sample of 908 older people in 27 long-term care hospitals or nursing homes, or at home with home care, were assessed by regular staff, among which a subsample of 534 people were dually assessed. The Cronbach's alphas of seven major composite scales in the instruments were examined for internal consistency. Interrater reliability was tested using agreement, kappa coefficients and interclass correlation coefficients. Results:The internal consistencies of all key measures were adequate (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.75). The overall mean kappa statistics of the items in the interRAI LTCF and those in the interRAI HC were 0.78 and 0.89, respectively. All key common items in the interRAI LTCF and the interRAI HC had almost perfect (κ ≥ 0.81) or substantial (0.61 ≤ κ ≤ 0.80) interrater reliability. Conclusions:The findings show the interRAI LTCF and the interRAI HC have adequate reliability for assessing the function and health of frail older adults across various long-term settings, which can promote continuity of care for the aged. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 220-228.