Mid-life socioeconomic status, depressive symptomatology and general cognitive status among older adults: inter-relationships and temporal effects

BMC Geriatrics

Research Article

Li-Jen Weng¹  Chi Chiao² 

[1] Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C;Insitute of Health and Welfare Policy, Research Center for Health and Welfare Policy, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C;

关键词: General cognitive status;    Depressive symptomatology;    Life course;    Longitudinal studies;    Socioeconomic factors;    Taiwan;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-016-0257-7

 received in 2015-10-22, accepted in 2016-04-13,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundFew longitudinal studies have analyzed how socioeconomic status (SES) influences both depressive and cognitive development over an individual’s life course. This study investigates the change trajectories of both depressive symptomatology and general cognitive status, as well as their associations over time, focusing on the effects of mid-life SES.MethodsData were obtained from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (1993–2007), a nationally representative cohort study of older adults in Taiwan. The short form of the Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale that measures depressive symptomatology in two domains (negative affect and lack of positive affect) was used. General cognitive status was assessed using the brief Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire scale. Assessments of the subjects’ mid-life SES included measurement of the participant’s education and occupation. Analyses were conducted by the parallel latent growth curve modeling.ResultsThe participants’ initial levels of depressive symptomatology and general cognitive status were significantly and negatively correlated; furthermore, any changes in these two outcomes were also correlated over time. The initial assessment of general cognitive status significantly contributed to any advancement towards more severe depressive symptomatology over time, particularly when this occurred in a negative manner. Furthermore, a mid-life SES advantage resulted in a significant reduction in late-life depressive symptomatology and also produced a slower decline in general cognitive status during later life. In contrast, lower mid-life SES exacerbated depressive symptomatology during old age, both at the initial assessment and in terms of the change over time. In addition, female gender was significantly associated with lower general cognitive status and more severe depressive symptomatology in negative affect.ConclusionsThese findings suggest a complex and longitudinal association between depressive symptomatology and general cognitive status in later life and this complicated relationship seems to be affected by mid-life SES over time.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Chiao and Weng. 2016