Associations Between Social Deprivation, Cognitive Heath, and Depression among Older Adults in India: Evidence from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI)

Background Cognitive health declines with age and is directly linked to biological changes as people age. However, socioeconomic factors play an essential role in the level and change of cognitive health and the onset of depression in older adults. This study attempts to assess the association between social deprivation, cognitive health, and depression among older persons in India. Data and Methods The Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Wave One, collected in India between 2017 and 2018, was used for this study. Several measures, including education, wealth quintile, working status, and living arrangements, were included in the Social Deprivation Index (SDI), constructed using hedonic weights. The hedonic weights were calculated using the standardized coefficients from the ordered probit regression by taking self-rated life satisfaction as the dependent variable. The Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale was used to assess depressive symptoms. Multiple logistic regressions established the association between poor cognitive health, depressive symptoms and SDI.. Results The descriptive findings reveal that 31.7% of people with high social deprivation have poor cognitive health compared to only 8.1% of people with lower social deprivation. Furthermore, 60.5% of people with higher social deprivation have depressive symptoms compared to 25.8% of people with lower social deprivation. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) using multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that individuals with high social deprivation are 2.31 times likelier to be in poor cognitive health and 3.58 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to individuals with low social deprivation after adjusting for socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Conclusion The findings suggest that high social deprivation is associated with depression and cognitive health decline. Policymakers and planners should devise policies for elderly people to reduce social isolation and include leisure activities in their daily lives. Free health insurance and specialist care for the elderly can relieve the stress of paying for their healthcare at older ages and improve their mental and cognitive health.