Search Results (3)

(1) Objectives: This study aims to investigate the bidirectional relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive function among older adults in China, addressing a research gap in the context of developing nations. (2) Methods: A total of 3813 adults aged 60 and older participating in 2013, 2015, and 2018 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were included. A fixed-effects model and cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was utilized. (3) Results: First, the results indicated that a significant negative correlation existed between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in older adults during the study period (β = −0.084, p < 0.001). Second, after controlling for unobserved confounding factors, the deterioration and improvement of depressive symptoms still significantly affected cognitive function (β = −0.055, p < 0.001). Third, using the cross-lagged panel model, we observed a reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms (Dep) and cognitive function (Cog) among Chinese older adults (Dep2013 → Cog2015, β = −0.025, p < 0.01; Dep2015 → Cog2018, β = −0.028, p < 0.001; Cog2013 → Dep2015, β = −0.079, p < 0.01; Cog2015 → Dep2018, β = −0.085, p < 0.01). (4) Discussion: The reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning in older adults emphasizes the need for integrated public health policies and clinical interventions, to develop comprehensive intervention strategies that simultaneously address depressive symptoms and cognitive decline. Full article

Mental health problems have become a major public health problem worldwide and are more common among middle-aged and elderly people in China. Research on the effect of education on depression is limited, and whether the relationship between education and depression changes over the life course remains unclear. This study was based on the cross-sectional data of 15,767 middle-aged and elderly individuals in the 2018 tracking survey (Wave 4) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database. Multiple linear regression and bootstrap methods were developed to detect the mediating effect of education on depression. In all samples or different age groups, education was significantly positively associated with depression. Three mediators (economic level, health-related lifestyle, and cognitive level) were significantly positively associated with depression, and cognitive level had a greater effect on depression than economic level and health-related lifestyle. The total, direct, and indirect effects of the whole samples and elderly samples were significant; however, the direct effect of the middle-aged samples was insignificant, and the total and indirect effects of the three mediating pathways were all significant, that is, economic level, health-related lifestyle, and cognitive level should produce complete mediation. The multiple linear regression and bootstrap methods could successfully detect the mediating effect of education on depression. On the basis of the education, economic level, health-related lifestyle, cognitive level, and depression of middle-aged and elderly people, we established and compared the total, direct, and mediating effects of education on depression under the life course. The mediating variables should be further increased, and the measurement methods of depression should be developed to improve the credibility of the research results. Full article

Depression amongst the elderly population is a worldwide public health problem, especially in China. Affected by the urban–rural dual structure, depressive symptoms of the elderly in urban and rural areas are significantly different. In order to compare depressive symptoms and its influencing factors among the elderly in urban and rural areas, we used the data from the fourth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 7690 participants at age 60 or older were included in this study. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the prevalence estimate of depression between urban and rural elderly (χ² = 10.9.76, p < 0.001). The prevalence of depression among rural elderly was significantly higher than that of urban elderly (OR_-unadjusted = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.67 to 2.12). After adjusting for gender, age, marital status, education level, minorities, religious belief, self-reported health, duration of sleep, life satisfaction, chronic disease, social activities and having income or not, the prevalence of depression in rural elderly is 1.52 times (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.32 to 1.76) than that of urban elderly. Gender, education level, self-reported health, duration of sleep, chronic diseases were associated with depression in both urban and rural areas. In addition, social activities were connected with depression in urban areas, while minorities, marital status and having income or not were influencing factors of depression among the rural elderly. The interaction analysis showed that the interaction between marital status, social activities and urban and rural sources was statistically significant (divorced: coefficient was 1.567, p < 0.05; social activities: coefficient was 0.340, p < 0.05), while gender, education level, minorities, self-reported health, duration of sleep, life satisfaction, chronic disease, social activities having income or not and urban and rural sources have no interaction (p > 0.05). Thus, it is necessary to propose targeted and precise intervention strategies to prevent depression after accurately identifying the factors’ effects. Full article