China is presently facing the challenge of meeting enormous health demands because of its rapidly aging society. Enrolling older persons in eldercare institutions is a helpful alternative for relieving family caregivers and promoting healthy aging. However, changes in the living environment may negatively affect the mental health of the elderly.
To explore the association between different living arrangements and depressive symptoms among over-65-year-old people in China and the moderating role of outdoor activities.
The 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) used a mixed sampling method to collect the health and demographic information of 15,874 older adults over 65 years from 23 provinces in China. After considering this study's inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final sample comprised 12,200 participants. The participants' risk of depressive symptoms was assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). The potential association between the two elements was tested using a regression model.
This study's findings suggested a significant relationship between depressive symptoms and living arrangements (
The high risk of depressive symptoms among older Chinese people living alone or in eldercare institutions requires considerable attention. The evidence from this study suggests that older people living alone and those living in eldercare institutions should regularly engage in appropriate outdoor activities.