Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults
Abstract This study investigates the association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among middle-aged and older adults in rural Northwest China, emphasizing the moderating role of social relationships. Data collected via face-to-face surveys in a cross-sectional design conducted in...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91679-5 |
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| author | Liuchun Xiang Jie Yang Masaaki Yamada Yaojiang Shi Haisong Nie |
| author_facet | Liuchun Xiang Jie Yang Masaaki Yamada Yaojiang Shi Haisong Nie |
| author_sort | Liuchun Xiang |
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| description | Abstract This study investigates the association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among middle-aged and older adults in rural Northwest China, emphasizing the moderating role of social relationships. Data collected via face-to-face surveys in a cross-sectional design conducted in March 2021, encompassing 395 participants aged 45 and above, were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. The results indicate that, excluding metabolic diseases (such as dyslipidemia and diabetes), other chronic diseases significantly increase depressive inclinations, particularly eye diseases, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastrointestinal diseases. Additionally, a greater number of chronic diseases show a positive association with depressive inclinations. Among social relationships, spousal trust and intergenerational relationship satisfaction were associated with a mitigation of the association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations, whereas skipped generational caregiving exacerbated this association. Other social relationships, including kinship and friendship network size, neighbor relationships, and villager relationships, exhibited no significant moderating associations. These findings underscore the critical role of positive family relationships and robust social support systems in improving the mental health of rural middle-aged and older adults. They provide practical insights for designing targeted policies and interventions to promote healthy aging and mental well-being in resource-limited rural settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ff18dce9c8cc4e649a60faa0e3bc8c35 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-ff18dce9c8cc4e649a60faa0e3bc8c352025-08-20T03:06:00ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111510.1038/s41598-025-91679-5Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adultsLiuchun Xiang0Jie Yang1Masaaki Yamada2Yaojiang Shi3Haisong Nie4Center for Experimental Economics in Education, Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal UniversityCenter for Experimental Economics in Education, Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal UniversityInstitute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyCenter for Experimental Economics in Education, Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal UniversityInstitute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyAbstract This study investigates the association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among middle-aged and older adults in rural Northwest China, emphasizing the moderating role of social relationships. Data collected via face-to-face surveys in a cross-sectional design conducted in March 2021, encompassing 395 participants aged 45 and above, were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. The results indicate that, excluding metabolic diseases (such as dyslipidemia and diabetes), other chronic diseases significantly increase depressive inclinations, particularly eye diseases, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastrointestinal diseases. Additionally, a greater number of chronic diseases show a positive association with depressive inclinations. Among social relationships, spousal trust and intergenerational relationship satisfaction were associated with a mitigation of the association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations, whereas skipped generational caregiving exacerbated this association. Other social relationships, including kinship and friendship network size, neighbor relationships, and villager relationships, exhibited no significant moderating associations. These findings underscore the critical role of positive family relationships and robust social support systems in improving the mental health of rural middle-aged and older adults. They provide practical insights for designing targeted policies and interventions to promote healthy aging and mental well-being in resource-limited rural settings.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91679-5Depressive inclinationsChronic diseasesRural areasSocial relationshipsMiddle-aged and older adults |
| spellingShingle | Liuchun Xiang Jie Yang Masaaki Yamada Yaojiang Shi Haisong Nie Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults Scientific Reports Depressive inclinations Chronic diseases Rural areas Social relationships Middle-aged and older adults |
| title | Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults |
| title_full | Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults |
| title_fullStr | Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults |
| title_short | Association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle-aged and older adults |
| title_sort | association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations among rural middle aged and older adults |
| topic | Depressive inclinations Chronic diseases Rural areas Social relationships Middle-aged and older adults |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91679-5 |
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