A cross-sectional study on the relation between depression and physical, mental, social environmental factors in Chinese elderly living in Tianjin

Abstract

The aging-related problems China faces are complex. One of the most important of these issues is depression. The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between depression and the physical, mental and social environment of elderly urban Chinese. We conducted a health survey of elderly Chinese aged 65 years or over living in Tianjin. The subjects included 65 males (70.8±5.1 years old) and 69 females (71.2±5.3 years old). Their depression status was evaluated according to the Chinese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale short form (GDS-S). Using a questionnaire survey, we evaluated physical factors (namely measurement of physical fitness and self-rated physical strength), lifestyle factors, mental factors (subjective health, purpose of life), and social environmental factors (social support networks : Measurement of Social Support-Elderly) and other home background factors. The male subjects recorded a GDS-S score of 3.4±3.5 (score mean±SD) and the female subjects (3.1±3.5). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Self-rated physical strength (odds ratio=0.16, 95% confidence interval=0.03-0.85) appeared to be closely related to a decrease in GDS-S score. Life events and a decline in physical strength are inevitable. However, we demonstrated that inhibition of depression increased self-rated physical strength. In China, there are aggressive moves to expand measures aimed at maintaining the strength of elderly people. However, it is important to extend healthy life expectancy measures aimed at improving QOL rather than focusing merely on longevity.