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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1456729

The impact of urban agglomeration planning on depression in older adults

Provisionally accepted
Ya Liu Ya Liu 1Li Yan Li Yan 1,2Yujue Wang Yujue Wang 3Xiaotang Tang Xiaotang Tang 4Ming Gao Ming Gao 5Jiayu Yang Jiayu Yang 6Xiuying Hu Xiuying Hu 1*Zuoyan Liu Zuoyan Liu 7*
  • 1 West China Hospital of Sichuan University/Innovation Center of Nursing Research/Sichuan key Laboratory of Nursing, Sichuan, China
  • 2 Department of Critical Care Medicine, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3 China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan, China, Mianyang, China
  • 4 Sichuan Vocational College of Commerce, Chendu, China
  • 5 Department of Finance, School of Economics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 6 Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 7 Department of Rehabilitation Medical Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, Chendu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The residential environment significantly impacts the mental health of older adults. Urban agglomeration planning, while fostering regional economic development, also influences the psychological well-being of this demographic. Methods: This study investigates the effects of urban agglomeration planning on depression levels in older adults, utilizing cohort data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and the multi-temporal double-difference-in-differences (DID) model. Results: Our findings reveal that urban agglomeration planning alleviates depression by enhancing green spaces, improving air quality, and advancing digital infrastructure development. Moreover, these benefits are particularly pronounced among older females, residents of Central and Western regions, and those with lower educational attainment.Based on our research findings, we recommend expediting the dissemination of urban agglomeration construction experiences to alleviate depression among older adults. In the implementation of policies, it is essential to consider objective conditions such as geographical location and educational level. The formulation of differentiated urban agglomeration planning to promote mental health among older adults.

    Keywords: urban agglomeration planning, older adults, Depression, difference-indifferences model, CHARLS

    Received: 03 Jul 2024; Accepted: 03 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Yan, Wang, Tang, Gao, Yang, Hu and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Xiuying Hu, West China Hospital of Sichuan University/Innovation Center of Nursing Research/Sichuan key Laboratory of Nursing, Sichuan, China
    Zuoyan Liu, Department of Rehabilitation Medical Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, Chendu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.