Key result
Living alone was associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults, with an 83% increased risk (OR 1.83) specifically among those receiving lower financial support.
Why the study?
Few studies had examined the longitudinal association between living alone and depressive symptoms, with most limited to patients with specific diseases.
Does living alone increase the risk of depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults?
Cohort (n=2,696)
Yes
Does living alone increase the risk of depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults?
Odds Ratio: 1.23 (95% CI 0.97–1.55)
Absolute Event Rate: 39.3% vs 29.7%
p-value: p=0.084
Living alone is associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults, but this risk appears to be mitigated by higher levels of financial support.
Living alone was associated with depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults; leaves open causality and generalizability pending longitudinal data.
Background There were a few studies that examined the longitudinal association between living alone and depressive symptoms, and the vast majority of them were conducted in patients with certain diseases, such as heart failure, cancer, and glaucoma. This study aimed to examine the association between living alone and depressive symptoms in a large representative older Chinese population. Methods The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data from 2015 to 2018 were used. Living alone was defined as participants who did not live with others ever or more than 11 months in the past year at baseline. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D10). The multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between living alone and depressive symptoms. Results There were 5,311 and 2,696 participants ≥ 60 years old included in the cross-sectional and cohort analysis, respectively. The risk of depressive symptoms in participants who lived alone was significantly higher than those who lived with others in both cross-sectional (OR:1.33; 95%CI:1.14,1.54) and cohort analysis (OR:1.23; 95%CI:0.97,1.55). There was a significant interaction between financial support and living alone (Pinteraction = 0.008) on the risk of depressive symptoms. Stratified analyses showed that, compared to those who lived with others, the risk of depressive symptoms in participants who lived alone increased by 83% (OR:1.83; 95%CI:1.26,2.65) in participants receiving lower financial support. However, we did not find statistically significant associations in participants with medium (OR:1.10; 95%CI: 0.74,1.63) and higher financial support (OR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.53,1.41). Conclusion Living alone was associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms in the Chinese older population, and this association was moderated by the receipt of financial support. Living alone may be an effective and easy predictor for early identification of high-risk populations of depression in the older population.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Zheng et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Depressive symptoms (n=2,696). Living alone vs. Living with others was evaluated on Depressive symptoms (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.97,1.55, p=0.084). Living alone was associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults, with an 83% increased risk (OR 1.83) specifically among those receiving lower financial support.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: