School of Public Health and Management, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, No. 61 Daxuecheng Middle Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Jun 14;22(1):398. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04046-3.
Some studies have shown that childhood socioeconomic status (SES) can influence the development and progression of depression in adulthood. This study aimed to analyze the effects of childhood SES on depressive symptoms in individuals of middle-old age and examine the potential mediating role of life satisfaction based on national data in China.
Data were derived from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data. A total of 17,129 individuals who were aged 45 years and older were included. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms in middle-old age. Childhood SES was the independent variable, and life satisfaction was the mediator. This study controlled four factors: general demographic characteristics, adult SES, childhood adversity and health and living status. Pearson correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were performed, and the Baron and Kenny method was used to test the mediating role.
The score of depressive symptoms among all participants was 7.88 ± 6.65. Gender, age, adult SES, childhood adversity and health and living status all affected the development of depression symptom in middle-aged and elderly individuals in China. After adjusting for all covariates, the higher the childhood SES, the lower the depressive symptom score (β = - 0.422, P < 0.001). Life satisfaction had a partial mediating effect between childhood SES and depressive symptoms. Low childhood SES may improve life satisfaction (β = 0.051, P < 0.001) and life satisfaction indirectly decreases depressive symptom scores (β = - 0.403, P < 0.001).
Life satisfaction was a partial mediator between childhood SES and depressive symptoms in middle and old age. Improving life satisfaction may serve as an intervention to reduce the incidence of depression symptoms in the future.
一些研究表明，儿童时期的社会经济地位（SES）会影响成年期抑郁的发展和进程。本研究旨在基于中国的全国数据，分析儿童时期 SES 对中年个体抑郁症状的影响，并探讨生活满意度的潜在中介作用。
数据来自 2018 年中国健康与退休纵向研究（CHARLS）的数据。共纳入 17129 名年龄在 45 岁及以上的个体。因变量为中年时期的抑郁症状。儿童时期 SES 为自变量，生活满意度为中介变量。本研究控制了四个因素：一般人口统计学特征、成人 SES、儿童逆境和健康与生活状况。进行了 Pearson 相关分析和层次多重回归分析，并采用 Baron 和 Kenny 方法检验中介作用。
所有参与者的抑郁症状评分均为 7.88±6.65。性别、年龄、成人 SES、儿童逆境和健康与生活状况均影响中国中老年个体抑郁症状的发展。在调整了所有协变量后，儿童时期 SES 越高，抑郁症状评分越低（β=-0.422，P<0.001）。生活满意度在儿童时期 SES 和抑郁症状之间存在部分中介作用。较低的儿童 SES 可能会提高生活满意度（β=0.051，P<0.001），而生活满意度会间接降低抑郁症状评分（β=-0.403，P<0.001）。
生活满意度是儿童时期 SES 和中年及老年抑郁症状之间的部分中介变量。提高生活满意度可能是未来减少抑郁症状发生率的一种干预措施。
