Elder Service Research Center, School of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Luoyu Road #1037, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, PR China.
Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, PR China.
J Affect Disord. 2018 Oct 15;239:124-130. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.06.036. Epub 2018 Jun 19.
Although studies conducted in developed countries have reported a negative relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms, few studies have examined rural-urban differences in the relationship between participation in various types of social activities and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults.
This study examined the association between participation in paid work, political, and voluntary activities and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults in urban and rural areas.
Data were obtained from the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey conducted in 2014, and bivariate linear regression and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted.
The prevalence of depressive symptoms was significantly higher among older adults residing in rural areas than among older adults in urban areas. Participation in paid work activities was significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms among older adults in urban and rural areas, whereas participation in political or voluntary activities was negatively associated with depressive symptoms only among older adults in urban areas. Older adults who participated in two or three types of activities (paid work, political, and voluntary activities) tended to have fewer depressive symptoms both in urban and rural areas.
Because this study comprised a cross-sectional design, causality could not be established between social participation and depressive symptoms.
Social participation plays a protective role against depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults, especially among those in urban areas. Urban-rural differences exist between participation in different types of social activities and depression symptoms.
尽管在发达国家进行的研究报告称，社会参与与抑郁症状之间存在负相关关系，但很少有研究调查中国老年人参与各种类型的社会活动与抑郁症状之间的城乡差异。
本研究调查了城市和农村地区中国老年人参与有偿工作、政治和志愿活动与抑郁症状之间的关系。
数据来自 2014 年进行的中国纵向老龄化社会调查，进行了双变量线性回归和多变量线性回归分析。
农村地区老年人的抑郁症状发生率明显高于城市地区老年人。城市和农村地区的老年人参与有偿工作活动与较少的抑郁症状显著相关，而参与政治或志愿活动仅与城市地区的老年人的抑郁症状呈负相关。参与两种或三种类型活动（有偿工作、政治和志愿活动）的老年人在城市和农村地区都倾向于出现较少的抑郁症状。
由于本研究采用横断面设计，因此不能在社会参与和抑郁症状之间建立因果关系。
社会参与对中国老年人，尤其是城市地区老年人的抑郁症状具有保护作用。不同类型的社会活动与抑郁症状之间存在城乡差异。
