Lower Prevalence Of Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

Association between Sociodemographic Factors and Depressive Symptoms among Adult Population in Serbia

Background: Lower socioeconomic groups were more affected by depressive symptoms among adults of Serbia. In this study, we tested a model that examines association between sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms among adult population in Serbia. Methods: The study was conducted within the National Health Survey of the Serbian population in 2019. The questionnaires used as instruments in this study were created in accordance with the questionnaires of the European Health Interview Survey –Third Wave. The Patient Health Questionnaire - 8 was used to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms to the adult population aged 20 years and over. The relations between depression symptoms and a set of independent variables were examined with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The prevalence of mild depressive symptoms was 6.6%, %, the prevalence of depressive episodes was 2.2%, while 91.2% of respondents had no depressive symptoms. In the univariate regression model, depressive episodes is 1.9 times more frequent in women (OR=1.909), 6.6 times more frequent in persons over 80 years of age (OR=6.610 ), 3.1 times more frequent in divorced or without a partner (OR=3.143 ), 6.6 times more frequent in persons with low education (OR=6.609), 3.3 times more frequent in persons with a poor well-being index (OR=3.373), 3.6 times more frequent in persons inactive (OR=3.649) and 1.9 times more frequent in persons from Vojvodina (OR=1.902). Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors should be considered for policymaking and for the development of new interventions to lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in adults.

Association between the perceived value of adopting new behaviors and depressive symptoms among older adults.

Early preventive measures against depression have become important with unprecedented global aging. Increase in one's perceived value (PV) may correspond to better mental health outcomes. This cross-sectional observation study aimed to clarify whether the PV of adopting new behaviors is associated with depressive symptoms. The participants were 5266 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65years. We developed a questionnaire to measure the PV of adopting new behaviors, specifically activities beneficial for preventing depressive symptoms (physical, cognitive, and social activities) in older adults. The questionnaire asked whether adopting the ten selected behaviors was valuable. The scores were added, and the total score ranged from -20 to 20. The odds ratios (OR) of depressive symptoms were calculated using binomial logistic regression according to the PV score quartiles. Depressive symptoms were reported by 595 (11.3%) participants. After adjusting for potential confounders, higher quartiles of PV scores were significantly associated with lower prevalence of depressive symptoms: vs Q1; Q2 OR 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.97); Q3 0.67 (0.51-0.87); Q4 0.54 (0.40-0.73) (P for trend < .001). Having a higher PV of adopting new behaviors may prevent depressive symptoms among older adults. Healthcare professionals need to pay attention to poor value orientation among older adults.

“Social support and stressful life events: risk factors for antenatal depression in nulliparous and multiparous women”

ABSTRACT Nulliparous (pregnant women who are giving birth for the first time) and multiparous (women who have multiple children) may have different concerns, which may be associated with risk of antenatal depression. This study aims to examine the role of social support and stressful life events as risk factors for antenatal depression in nulliparous and multiparous women. The sample included 1,524 pregnant women recruited from an obstetrics setting at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy from two Spanish tertiary-care public hospitals. The sample completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the “social support” and “stressful life events” subscales of the Postpartum Depression Predictor Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R). Nulliparous women reported a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (15.6 percent) compared to multiparous mothers (20.1 percent). In both groups, marriage/partner problems (NP: β = 0.178, p < .01 vs MP: β = 0.164, p < .01) and a perceived lack of instrumental support from friends (NP: β = -0.154, p < .01 vs MP: β = −0.154, p < .01) were significant risk factors for antenatal depression. However, nulliparous women have more risk factors such as unemployment (β = 0.096, p < .05), job change (β = 0.127, p < .01), financial problems (β = 0.145, p < .01) and lack of instrumental support from partner (β = −0187, p < .01). For multiparous women, moving (β = 0.080, p < .05) and lack of instrumental support from family (β = −0.151, p < .01) were risk factors. These results suggest the critical need for screening and designing preventive interventions adapted and taking into consideration parity to provide more effective health care during pregnancy.

“High dietary live microbe intake is correlated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional study of NHANES 2007–2016”

BackgroundRecent research indicated that levels of dietary live microorganisms were inconsistently associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between consumption of live microorganisms and symptoms of depression. MethodsData on 21,653 study participants were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Dietary information was assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Depressive status was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Generalized linear model, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and subgroup analyses were performed in this study. ResultsAfter full adjustment for confounders, participants in the moderate–dietary microbe intake group had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms than those in the lowest intake group [odds ratio (OR): 0.813, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.678–0.974, P = 0.026, and pseudo R2 = 0.12]. Participants in the highest–dietary microbe intake group had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms than those in the lowest intake group (OR: 0.714, 95 % CI: 0.586–0.870, P = 0.001, and pseudo R2 = 0.12). An L-shaped dose–response relationship was observed in the RCS (the P value for nonlinear relationship = 0.007). In subgroup analyses, participants with male identity, normal weight, and high physical activity (PA) level showed a substantial correlation between dietary live microbe consumption and depressive symptoms (all P values for interaction <0.050). LimitationsThis study was limited by its cross-sectional study design, and self-reported dietary live microbe consumption and depressive symptoms. ConclusionsA high dietary live microbe intake was nonlinearly correlated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms.

Depressive symptoms and their predictors among school-teachers in Southern Tunisia during the COVID-19 outbreak: A representative cross-sectional study

IntroductionTeachers’ mental health could be affected as a result of significant changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including everyday responsibilities outside of their profession. In this context, we aimed to explore the prevalence of depressive symptoms (DS) among school teachers in Sfax, Southern Tunisia, and to investigate their main determinants. MethodsIt was a cross-sectional study involving public-school-teachers of all levels: primary, middle and high schools in Sfax Governorate, Southern Tunisia between March and April 2021 during the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The DS were evaluated using a French validated 20-item-version of the self-reported Depression Scale of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A cut-off point of 16 was recommended to define DS. ResultsOf the 525 teachers, 292 cases were females (55.6%), 256 teachers (48.8%) worked at high-schools and 478 cases were married (91%). The teachers’ median age was 48 years (Interquartile range (IQR) = [41–53] years). There were 245 teachers (46.7%) suffering from DS. In the multivariate analysis, female gender (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.3; p < 0.001), history of chronic diseases (AOR = 2.5; p < 0.001) and having close contact with COVID-19 cases (AOR = 1.4; p = 0.04) were independently associated with depressive symptoms. Besides, university educational level (AOR = 0.56; p = 0.015), perceived workplace safety (AOR = 0.4; p < 0.001), consumption of coffee (AOR = 0.5; p = 0.006) and regular mask wearing in public spaces (AOR = 0.52; p = 0.048) were independently associated with lower prevalence of DS among teachers. In the multivariate analysis, female gender (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.3; p < 0.001), history of chronic diseases (AOR = 2.5; p < 0.001) and having close contact with COVID-19 cases (AOR = 1.4; p = 0.04) were independently associated with depressive symptoms. Besides, university educational level (AOR = 0.56; p = 0.015), perceived workplace safety (AOR = 0.4; p < 0.001), consumption of coffee (AOR = 0.5; p = 0.006) and regular mask wearing in public spaces (AOR = 0.52; p = 0.048) were independently associated with lower prevalence of DS among teachers. ConclusionPersonal, occupational and pandemic-related factors were found to be associated with higher risk of DS among teachers. Therefore, promoting awareness through offering psychological assistance and educational sessions about screening of mental health disorders among teachers is crucial for early detection and management.

Impact of work schedule characteristics on teacher mental health and burnout symptoms while remote working.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers quickly shifted to remote teaching with many teachers experiencing increased work demands with limited resources, affecting both mental health and work. Within a cross-sectional study, we evaluated the relationship between one type of work demand, non-standard work schedule characteristics, and depressive and burnout symptoms in kindergarten through 8th grade U.S. teachers working remotely in May 2020. We further assessed the impact of COVID-19 and work resources. Work schedule characteristics were self-assessed across six domains on a 5-point frequency scale from always (1) to never (5). We used multilevel Poisson models to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In fully adjusted models, frequently working unexpectedly was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07-1.31, p < 0.01), high emotional exhaustion (PR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.05-1.30, p < 0.01), and high depersonalization (PR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.02-1.92, p = 0.03). Remote work resources were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79-0.98, p = 0.02). There was a linear association between low coworker support and a low sense of personal accomplishment (PR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.53-0.87, p < 0.01). Frequently having to work unexpectedly while remote teaching was associated with symptoms of depression and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workplaces should support predictable working times to lessen the disruption caused by unexpected work to promote worker well-being.

P14-030-23 Japanese-Style Diet Is Associated With Low Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms: Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study

P14-030-23 Japanese-Style Diet Is Associated With Low Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms: Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with social support among older adults: The Brazilian National Health Survey

BackgroundThe study aimed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and social support measures among non-institutionalized Brazilian older adults. MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out with data from the last National Health Survey, conducted in 2019. A descriptive analysis of the study variables was performed, followed by a multiple regression analysis to teste the association between the dependent variable (depressive symptoms, assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and independent variables (household arrangement, marital relationship, leisure activities, voluntary activity, religious activity, activities in associations/leaderships, work and receiving social support (friends and family). ResultsThe sample comprised 22,723 older adults and 13.1 % had depressive symptoms. There was a positive relationship between the number of people in the household and the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Individuals with support from family members only (PR 0.69; 95 % CI 0.51; 0.92) and those with support from family and friends (PR 0.53 95 % CI 0.40; 0.70) had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms than those without support. Participation in leisure and religious activities was inversely associated with depressive symptoms. A negative association was found between work and the presence of depressive symptoms (PR 0.83; 95 % CI 0.70; 0.99). LimitationsThe cross-sectional design limits causal inferences and the survey did not include institutionalized individuals. ConclusionsThe lower prevalence of the outcome among older adults with social support highlights the importance of evaluating these measures and practicing activities that allow personal and social interactions among this age group.

Trends in Depressive Symptoms and Suicidality of South Korean Adolescents: Comparison of Expected and Observed Prevalence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PurposeDepressive symptoms and suicidality of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic are emerging public health issues. However, there is a lack of representative studies on adolescents' mental health that considers the preceding secular trends. MethodsThis descriptive study used nationally representative cross-sectional data of Korean adolescents from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2005 to 2020 (N = 1,035,382). We utilized joinpoint regression analysis to explore the temporal prevalence trends of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Based on the annual percentage change until 2019, the expected and actual prevalence in 2020 (N = 54,948) was compared to describe departures of prevalence from the trend line. These trends between sex, school level, ethnic status, and socioeconomic status were also compared. ResultsConsidering the recent increase in secular trends until 2019, the actual observed values in 2020 were lower than expected by 13% in depressive symptoms, 20% in suicidal ideation, and 40% in suicide attempts. The gap between sexes, school levels, ethnic status, and socioeconomic groups was similar or narrowed in 2020 compared to previous trends. DiscussionWe observed a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms and suicidality among Korean adolescents than expected about 9 months from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic despite the recent increase in secular trends.

Prevalence and associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China: A cross-sectional study.

Healthcare workers were at high risk of psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains not well-investigated in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19, with regular epidemic prevention and control embedded in burdened healthcare work. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and potential risk factors of the symptoms of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen. Our cross-sectional study was conducted among 21- to 64-year-old healthcare workers in December 2021 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, using a simple random sampling strategy. A wide range of socio-demographic characteristics, individual information, and psychological condition of the subjects were extracted. Healthcare workers' psychological conditions were tested with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-10), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and 17-item of Maslach's Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS-17). Data were collected based on these questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the difference between healthcare workers with depressive and anxiety symptoms among different groups. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between focused variables and mental health outcomes. A total of 245 healthcare workers were enrolled. The proportion of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and their co-occurrence were 34.7, 59.6, and 33.1%, respectively. Logistic regression showed that for the three outcomes, no history of receiving psychological help and self-rated good or higher health were protective factors, whereas more severe insomnia and job burnout were risk factors. Junior or lower job title and higher psychological resilience were related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms, while relatively longer working hours and larger work-family conflict were positively associated with the anxiety symptoms. Psychological resilience was inversely associated with the co-occurrence of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our study revealed a high proportion of psychological problems and proved that several similar factors which were significant during the pandemic were also associated with the symptoms of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19. These results provide scientific evidence for psychological interventions for healthcare workers.

Tryptophan intake is related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid wholly derived from diet. While the majority of tryptophan is degraded through the kynurenine pathway into neuroactive metabolites like quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid, a small proportion of ingested tryptophan is metabolized into the neurotransmitter serotonin. The current cross-sectional study in Japan examined the association between tryptophan intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Study subjects were 1744 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥ 16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, education, body mass index, and intake of saturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and isoflavones. The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was 19.2%. After adjustment for confounding factors, higher tryptophan intake was independently inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms during pregnancy in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of tryptophan intake were 1 (reference), 0.99 (0.76-1.28), 0.94 (0.71-1.25), and 0.64 (0.44-0.93), respectively (p for trend = 0.04). Higher estimated tryptophan intake was cross-sectionally independently associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japanese women.

Cross-Sectional Associations of Intakes of Starch and Sugars with Depressive Symptoms in Young and Middle-Aged Japanese Women: Three-Generation Study of Women on Diets and Health.

The relationship between the intakes of saccharide subtypes and depressive symptoms is unclear in Asian countries. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate this association among 3963 young (age of 18 years) and 3826 middle-aged (mean age of 47.8 years) Japanese women. The intakes of starch, total sugars, free sugars, sucrose, lactose, glucose, and total fructose were assessed using a validated diet history questionnaire. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 22.0% and 16.8% among young and middle-aged women, assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) score. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, higher starch intake was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in young women with an odds ratio (OR) of the fourth to the first quintiles of 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57, 0.99). Moreover, higher intakes of sugars (except for lactose) were associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in young women, with ORs (95% CI) of the fifth to the first quintiles ranging from 1.30 (0.995, 1.69) for glucose to 1.47 (1.12, 1.93) for sucrose. These associations were not observed in middle-aged women. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Work participation and mental and physical health outcomes among a national community-dwelling sample of older adult men and women in India

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the association between work participation and various health outcomes in older community-dwelling adults in India. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 14,342 male and 8342 female participants (≥60 years) from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 in 2017–2018. Among older men (≥60 years) who had ever been working, 45.5% and among older women (≥60 years), 35.7% were working. In adjusted Poisson, linear or logistic regression analyses, work participation was among both men and women associated with better self-rated health status, lower prevalence of insomnia symptoms, lower prevalence of heart disease or stroke, lower prevalence of diabetes, lower functional limitations, lower physical inactivity, and higher heavy episodic drinking. In addition, among men, work participation was associated with current tobacco use, and among women, work participation was associated with higher cognitive functioning, and lower prevalence of depressive symptoms.

Neuropsychological and Physical Trajectories in Neurotypical and High-cognitive Performing Older Adults

The maintenance of high cognitive performance in old age has increasinglybecome a public health interest due to associations between cognition,well-being, longevity, and autonomy. The objective of the researchis to investigate cognitive, physical, and psychological trajectories ofneurotypical older adults (NOAs) and high performing older adults(HPOAs). An exploratory study to investigate 21 NOAs and six HPOAs(mean age 71, SD = ± 3.59), followed up for one year. The older adultswere submitted to physical fitness, quality of life, anxiety, depression,RAVLT, ACE-R, and Stroop tests, being assessed at three moments:baseline, six months after the cognitive (MEMO) or stimulation (Stimullus)interventions, and six months after the multimodal interventions, whichcould be physical or psychopedagogical interventions (health educationlectures). Nonparametric statistical tests (Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon)were performed with p≤0.05. The results demonstrated that the cognitivemeasures were good predictors of cognitive performance and we observedpositive correlations between cognitive and mood measures. The olderadults with high performance had a lower prevalence of depressivesymptoms. There were gains in global cognitive performance, mood, and inphysical fitness variables associated with multimodal interventions, evidentin the neurotypical group

The possible mediatory role of adipokines in the association between low carbohydrate diet and depressive symptoms among overweight and obese women.

BackgroundPrevious studies showed the possible association between obesity, dietary pattern, and depressive symptoms. Due to the lack of enough data to confirm the association of obesity and depression in the Middle East, here, we aimed to explore the possible mediatory role of adipokines Galectin-3, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and endothelial plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in the association between low carbohydrate diet (LCD) and depressive symptoms.MethodsA total of 256 women aged 17–56 years old were grouped based on their LCD score. Depression anxiety stress scales-21 (DASS-21) self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate the three negative emotional states of stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Body composition and dietary intake were assessed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the serum levels of Galectin-3, TGF-β, and PAI-1.ResultsNo significant difference was observed regarding Galectin-3, TGF-β, and PAI-1 levels between the groups with dissimilar adherence to LCD or the groups with different levels of depressive symptoms (P>0.05). However, there was a negative association between LCD score as a covariant and depressive symptoms as an independent variable (P = 0.02) and remarkably, a regression model linear analysis using Galectin-3, TGF-β, and PAI-1 as confounding variables indicated the mediatory role of these adipokines in this association (P>0.05). In other words, adipokines eliminated the significance of the relationship between adherence to LCD and depressive symptoms.ConclusionIt seems that higher adherence to LCD is probably associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in obese adults through the mediatory role of adipokines.

Depressive Symptoms, Gender, Disclosure, and HIV Care Stage Among People Living with HIV in Cameroon.

Depression is associated with suboptimal HIV care outcomes. Little is known about the extent to which the prevalence of depressive symptoms varies across the HIV care continuum. Also, the relationship among gender, HIV disclosure, HIV care stage, and depressive symptoms in PLWH remains poorly understood. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 12,507 PLWH at enrollment in International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Cameroon between 2016 and 2020. Recent depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). A score of three or greater on the PHQ-2 was considered indicative of likely major depressive disorder. We estimated the prevalence of depressive symptoms across three stages of HIV care: those not yet on antiretroviral therapy (ART), recent ART initiators (ART initiation ≤ 30days prior), and ART users (ART initiation > 30days prior). Adjusted prevalence differences (aPD) of depressive symptoms were estimated comparing recent ART initiators and ART users. Disclosure and gender were examined as effect measure modifiers of the relationship between HIV care stage and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 11.9%, 22.0%, and 8.7% among PLWH not yet on ART, recent ART initiators, and ART users, respectively. ART users had significantly lower prevalence of depressive symptoms compared to recent ART initiators (aPD - 0.09 [95% CI - 0.11, - 0.08]). Neither gender nor HIV disclosure modified the effect measure of the relationship between HIV care stage and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were commonly reported among this group of PLWH and were associated with recent ART initiation. Integration of screening and treatment of depression into HIV care should be prioritized and may be particularly relevant for PLWH initiating ART.

Low Quality of Life, Falls, and Pre-Frailty are Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Virologically Suppressed PLWHIV in Salvador, Brazil.

Depression is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide and PLWHIV present a higher risk of developing depressive symptoms. We aimed to evaluate depressive symptoms and their predictors in virologically suppressed PLWHIV. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 200 PLWHIV. Depressive symptoms were defined as scoring ≥ 14 points in the Beck Depression Inventory II. Most of the participants (58.5%) were men, with a median age of 54years (IQR: 46.25-59.00). Depressive symptoms' prevalence was 19.5% and they were associated with being divorced/widowed (aOR: 2.93, CI 95%: 1.17-7.37), recurrent falls (aOR: 4.24, CI 95%: 1.07-16.85), pre-frailty (aOR: 3.55, CI 95%: 1.47-8.57), and lower scores in all HRQoL dimensions. Although virologically suppressed PLWHIV presented lower prevalence of depressive symptoms than reported in previous studies in Brazil and South America, they were associated with falls and frailty, highlighting the need for screening.

The relationship between sunlight exposure duration and depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional study on elderly Chinese women.

Sunlight has been reported to have various beneficial effects on human health. Although research indicates an association between sunlight exposure and depressive symptoms, no study has examined it among the older adult population, especially among elderly Chinese women. This cross-sectional study addresses the aforesaid gap by investigating this association in 1,429 Chinese women aged 60 years and older. Information on their sunlight exposure was collected through a self-reported questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). The logistic regression models revealed that greater exposure to sunlight is associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. In the final adjusted model, when the short sunlight exposure category (reference) was compared with the medium and long ones, the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the prevalence of depressive symptoms (SDS cutoff ≥ 45) were 0.84 (0.60, 1.19) and 0.62 (0.43, 0.91), respectively (p-value for trend = 0.01). This significant association did not change when the SDS cutoff points were altered to ≥ 40 and ≥ 50. Findings indicate that an increased sunlight exposure duration is associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in elderly women.

Estimating the Impact of Sustained Social Participation on Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults.

Social participation has been suggested as a means to prevent depressive symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether a one-time boost suffices or whether participation needs to be sustained over time for long-term prevention. We estimated the impacts of alternative hypothetical interventions in social participation on subsequent depressive symptoms among older adults. Data were from a nationwide prospective cohort study of Japanese older adults ≥65 years of age (n = 32,748). We analyzed social participation (1) as a baseline exposure from 2010 (approximating a one-time boost intervention) and (2) as a time-varying exposure from 2010 and 2013 (approximating a sustained intervention). We defined binary depressive symptoms in 2016 using the Geriatric Depression Scale. We used the doubly robust targeted maximum likelihood estimation to address time-dependent confounding. The magnitude of the association between sustained participation and the lower prevalence of depressive symptoms was larger than the association observed for baseline participation only (e.g., prevalence ratio [PR] for participation in any activity = 0.83 [95% confidence interval = 0.79, 0.88] vs. 0.90 [0.87, 0.94]). For activities with a lower proportion of consistent participation over time (e.g., senior clubs), there was little evidence of an association between baseline participation and subsequent depressive symptoms, while an association for sustained participation was evident (e.g., PR for senior clubs = 0.96 [0.90, 1.02] vs. 0.88 [0.79, 0.97]). Participation at baseline but withholding participation in 2013 was not associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. Sustained social participation may be more strongly associated with fewer depressive symptoms among older adults.

Type of tea consumption and depressive symptoms in Chinese\xa0older adults

BackgroundExisting research indicates that tea drinking may exert beneficiary effects on mental health. However, associations between different types of tea intake and mental health such as depression have not been fully examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of green tea, fermented tea, and floral tea consumption with depressive symptoms.MethodsWe used data from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a nationwide survey on older adults in mainland China. A total of 13,115 participants (mean age 83.7 years, 54.2% were women) with valid responses were included in the analysis. The type (green, fermented [black, Oolong, white, yellow, dark, and compressed teas], and floral) and the frequency of tea consumption were recorded, and depressive symptoms were assessed using 10-item of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). We examined the associations between the type and the frequency of tea intake and depression, controlling for a set of demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral, and health-related variables.ResultsOverall, intakes of green tea, fermented tea, and floral tea were all significantly associated with lower prevalence of depressive symptoms, independent of other risk factors. Compared with the group of no tea intake, the adjusted ORs of depressive symptoms for daily green tea, fermented tea, and floral tea intake were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.76–0.95), 0.87 (95% CI: 0.76–0.99), and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.59–0.82), respectively. Linear associations were observed between the frequencies of all three types of tea intake and depressive symptoms (P < 0.05 for trends for all three types). The associations of the type and the frequency of tea intake and depressive symptoms were robust in several sensitivity analyses.ConclusionsAmong Chinese older adults, regularly consumed any type of tea (green, fermented, or floral) were less likely to show depressive symptoms, the associations seemed more pronounced among floral tea and green tea drinkers.