scholarly journals The Impact of Health Problems on Depression and Activities in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Age and Social Interactions as Moderators

2004 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. P19-P26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Fukukawa ◽  
C. Nakashima ◽  
S. Tsuboi ◽  
N. Niino ◽  
F. Ando ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Juyeong Kim ◽  
Eun-Cheol Park

Background: Given the documented importance of employment for middle-aged and older adults’ mental health, studies of the association between their number of work hours and depressive symptoms are needed. Objectives: To examine the association between the number of work hours and depressive symptoms in Korean aged 45 and over. Methods: We used data from the first wave to fourth wave of the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using the first wave at baseline, data included 9845 individuals. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We performed a longitudinal analysis to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms by work hours. Results: Both unemployed males and females aged 45–65 years were associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.59, p < 0.001; β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Females working ≥ 69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms compared to those working 41–68 h (β = 0.25, p = 0.013). Among those both middle-aged and older adults, both males and females unemployed were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Those middle-aged female working ≥69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusions: An increase in depressive symptoms was associated with unemployed males and females working ≥69 h compared to those working 41–68 h. Although this association was found among middle-aged individuals, a decrease in depressive symptoms in both sexes was associated with working 1–40 h. Depressive symptoms should decrease by implementing employment policies and social services to encourage employers to support middle-aged and older adults in the workforce considering their sex and age differences.


2016 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 152-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amoha Bajaj ◽  
Neha A. John-Henderson ◽  
Jenny M. Cundiff ◽  
Anna L. Marsland ◽  
Stephen B. Manuck ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongli Fan ◽  
Yingcheng Wang ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Peter C Coyte

Abstract While several studies have demonstrated the negative impacts of environmental pollution on population health, in general, few studies have examined the potential differential effects on the health of middle-aged and older populations, i.e. 45 years and older. Given the twin concerns of environmental pollution and population aging in China, this article employed a fixed effects model to infer the impact of environmental pollution on public health with a particular focus on middle-aged and older adults. The analyses were based on data from the 2011–2018 waves of the CHARLS and pollutant data from prefecture-level cities. The results showed that environmental pollution significantly increased the risk of chronic diseases and negatively impacted the health of middle-aged and older adults. Environmental pollution had its greatest negative effect on the health of the elderly, women, urban residents and those with lower incomes than for their counterparts. We further found that the main channels of effect were through reduced physical exercise and an increase in depressive symptoms, and the pollution prevention actions alleviated the health deterioration of environmental pollution for the middle-aged and elderly. It is imperative for the government to urgently reinforce policy's enforcement to decrease air and water pollution, and enhance the ability to circumvent pollution for the lower socioeconomic groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 39-39
Author(s):  
Carly Joseph ◽  
Brendan O'Shea ◽  
Jessica Finlay ◽  
Lindsay Kobayashi

Abstract The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has set an urgent need to understand the impact of physical isolation on mental health. We aimed to investigate the relationships between physical isolation during the period when many US states had shelter-in-place orders (April-May 2020) and subsequent longitudinal trajectories of mental health in middle-aged and older adults (aged 55+, N=3,978) over a six-month follow-up (April to October 2020). We used population and attrition-weighted multivariable linear mixed-effects models. At baseline, 7 days/week of physical isolation (vs. 0 days/week) was associated with elevated depressive symptoms (β=0.82; 95% CI: 0.04-1.60), and all of 1-3, 4-6, and 7 days/week of physical isolation (vs. 0 days/week) were associated with elevated anxiety symptoms and loneliness. Physical isolation was not associated with changes in mental health symptoms over time. These findings highlight the need to prioritize opportunities for in-person connection for middle-aged and older adults when safe to do so.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 141-141
Author(s):  
Sukyung Yoon ◽  
Soo Chan Choi

Abstract Many people have suffered from psychological distress in the form of stress, loneliness, and anxiety resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic (Havnen et al., 2020; Luchetti et al., 2020). Along with these factors, physical health (hereafter health), resilience, and living arrangements as protective factors were examined. The research aims were to investigate 1) factors affecting the association between COVID-19-related stress (hereafter stress) and anxiety, and 2) moderating effects of loneliness on this association. Data was collected on 450 middle-aged and older adults (ages 45 through 76) living in South Korea during COVID-19. A multi-group path analysis was employed. Measurement invariance was examined by comparing unconstrained and fully constrained models. Both models fit. Moderating effects of loneliness existed. Stress was negatively associated with health and living arrangements for people with both higher and lower levels of loneliness. Health was positively associated with resilience for both groups. Resilience was negatively associated with anxiety for both groups. For people with higher levels of loneliness only, stress and health were negatively associated with resilience and anxiety, respectively. The association between stress and anxiety was significant for both groups. However, the impact of stress on anxiety was significantly larger for people with higher levels of loneliness than for people with lower levels of loneliness. Health practitioners and service providers should develop programs to maintain and promote resilience, social support, and good health among middle-aged and older adults in South Korea to mitigate negative mental health consequences during the pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-19
Author(s):  
Robert E. Mann ◽  
Wah Lap Cheung ◽  
Gina Stoduto ◽  
Christine M. Wickens ◽  
Anca R. Ialomiteanu ◽  
...  

This study examined the associations of cannabis use, alcohol use and alcohol problems with probable anxiety and mood disorders (AMD) in young, middle-aged and older adults. Method: Data are based on the CAMH Monitor, an ongoing cross-sectional telephone survey of Ontario adults aged 18 years and older. For the purposes of the current study, a merged dataset from the years 2001 through 2009 inclusive was separated into three individual datasets: 18-34 year olds (n=4,211), 35-54 year olds (n=7,874), and 55 years of age and older (n=6,778). The survey included the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire, which provides a measure of probable AMD for the general population. Logistic regression analyses examined the odds of probable AMD in three age groups associated with alcohol measures (number of drinks per day and alcohol problems (AUDIT 8+)) and cannabis use, while controlling for self-reported physical health, religious service attendance, and demographic factors. Due to listwise deletion, the logistic regression models were based on reduced samples. Results: Lifetime cannabis use and past year cannabis use predicted probable AMD in young and middle-aged adults, but only lifetime cannabis use predicted probable AMD among older adults. Alcohol problems predicted probable AMD among middle aged and older adults, but not among younger adults. No consistent link between recent alcohol consumption and probable AMD was observed. Conclusion: These analyses suggest that the impact of alcohol and cannabis use and problems on probable AMD may differ across age groups.


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