Multidimensional Internet Use, Social Participation, and Depression Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese Individuals: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Analysis of factors associated with depressive symptoms in stroke patients based on a national cross-sectional study

Post-stroke depression is commonly experienced by stroke survivors and has a significant negative impact on the physical, cognitive, and social functioning of those affected. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their associated factors in Chinese stroke patients. Research samples were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2018 survey. Depression was evaluated using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, with a score ≥ 10 defined as depression. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to examine the associations of depressive symptoms with demographics, family relationships, health status, and lifestyle. A total of 963 stroke patients were included and 57.8% of them had depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with female sex (OR 1.762, 95% CI 1.235-2.514), lower education level (non-formal education: OR 2.148, 95% CI 1.235-3.737, primary to secondary school education: OR 1.964, 95% CI 1.272-3.033), dissatisfaction with spouse (OR 1.912, 95% CI 1.075-3.401), dissatisfaction with life (OR 1.779, 95% CI 1.080-2.931), dissatisfaction with health (OR 1.592, 95% CI 1.138-2.226), pain (OR 1.392, 95% CI 1.005-1.928) and abnormal sleep (OR 1.557, 95% CI 1.126-2.152). The findings suggest the need for regular depression screening and evaluation after a stroke, and that a well-functioning support system, effective health management, and lifestyle modifications could potentially improve the mental state of stroke patients.

Urban-rural disparities in depressive symptoms and related factors among offspring of advanced maternal mothers: A national cross-sectional study in China

BACKGROUND

Urbanization remains an important factor affecting the mental health of people. Currently, there is insufficient research on depression among the offspring of women who have children at an advanced maternal age (AMA). The objective of this study is to investigate the urban and rural disparities in depressive symptoms among the offspring of AMA and related influencing factors.

METHODS

In this study, a total of 1273 offspring born to AMA were selected from the fourth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database. The questionnaire used in the study included demographic information and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD). Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were employed to examine the urban-rural differences.

RESULTS

The likelihood of developing depressive symptoms of the offspring of AMA in rural areas was 1.633 times higher (AOR = 1.633; 95%CI: 1.211-2.202) compared to their urban counterparts. Several factors including gender, education, marital status, disability, chronic diseases, and sleep duration showed a linkage with depression among rural based offspring of AMA. For the urban offspring of AMA, only disability and sleep duration exhibited a significant association with depressive symptoms.

LIMITATIONS

This study cannot establish a causal relationship between depressive symptoms and the influencing factors for the offspring of AMA. Age range and variables of the respondents needs further consideration.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has brought to light the elevated risk of depressive symptoms among rural-based offspring of AMA. Thus, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions and measures to address the negative impact.

Analysis of health risk factors for older adults living alone in China and establishment and evaluation of a nomogram prediction model

Objective

To understand the health status of older adults living alone in China and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide reference for improving the health status of older adults living alone.

Methods

Based on CGSS data from China General Social Survey (2017), the influencing factors of health status of older adults living alone were analyzed by unconditional Logistic regression, and the R software was used to develop a nomogram for predicting the risk of self-assessed unhealthy adverse outcomes.

Results

Gender, annual income, mandarin listening level and participation in medical insurance were the influencing factors of self-rated health of older adults living alone. Age and annual income are the influencing factors of physiological health. Annual income and Internet use were influential factors for mental health. C-Statistic of nomogram prediction model was 0.645. The calibration curve showed that goodness of fit test (χ2 = 58.09, p < 0.001), and the overall prediction ability of the model was good.

Conclusion

The health status of older adults living alone in the home-based older adults care is worrying, and it is affected by various factors. We should pay more attention to older adults living alone, improve the ability of listening and distinguishing mandarin and the use of health information platforms for older adults living alone, and further implement medical insurance policies and health services. Announcing the solution to promote healthy home-based care for older adults living alone.

The Effect of Social Media Forwarding on Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Older Adults: A Moderated Mediation Model

Purpose

In the intersection of the aging and information era, the development of digital aging significantly influences the well-being of older individuals. Given the divergent findings in various studies exploring the effects of social media use on mental health, this study specifically examined the impact of forwarding, a prevalent social media behavior among older individuals, focusing on the effects of use intensity on their subjective well-being (SWB) and the specific mechanisms involved.

Materials and Methods

A total of 323 Chinese older adults completed the questionnaire. SPSS along with Hayes Process Models 4 and 7 was employed to test the hypotheses.

Results

The results indicated that social media forwarding intensity significantly and positively predicted SWB of older adults. This association was partially mediated by perceived social support (PSS) and self-esteem. Gender served as a moderator, highlighting that the positive predictive effects of forwarding intensity on PSS and self-esteem were more pronounced for older men than for older women. Further, the findings confirmed the existence of the moderated mediating effect such that the impact of forwarding on SWB was mediated through both PSS and self-esteem for older men, while, for older women, it was solely mediated by PSS.

Conclusion

This study revealed the positive impact of forwarding, a user-friendly social media function, on the well-being of older adults and elucidated the specific mechanisms through a moderated mediation model. In light of these findings, we propose customizing the development of age-friendly social media functions to address the diverse psychological needs of older adults, taking into account gender differences. These findings may offer valuable insights for constructing digital age-friendly platforms and fostering active aging development.

Flattening the biological age curve by improving metabolic health: to taurine or not to taurine, that' s the question

The aging population is an important issue around the world especially in developed countries. Although medical advances have substantially extended life span, the same cannot be said for the duration of health span. We are seeing increasing numbers of elderly people who are frail and/or have multiple chronic conditions; all of these can affect the quality of life of the elderly population as well as increase the burden on the healthcare system. Aging is mechanistically related to common medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, cognitive decline, and frailty. A recently accepted concept termed 'Accelerated Biological Aging' can be diagnosed when a person's biological age-as measured by biomarkers of DNA methylation-is older than their corresponding chronological age. Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid, has received much attention in the past few years. A substantial number of animal studies have provided a strong scientific foundation suggesting that this amino acid can improve cellular and metabolic health, including blood glucose control, so much that it has been labelled one of the 'longevity amino acids'. In this review article, we propose the rationale that an adequately powered randomized-controlled-trial (RCT) is needed to confirm whether taurine can meaningfully improve metabolic and microbiome health, and biological age. This trial should incorporate certain elements in order to provide the much-needed evidence to guide doctors, and also the community at large, to determine whether this promising and inexpensive amino acid is useful in improving human metabolic health.