An association study of depressive symptoms in adult couples over 50 years of age

Abstract

Background

Depression can lead to reduced physical activity, reduced quality of life, and self-sadness or even suicide, resulting in a huge burden of disease and financial loss.

Objective

To study the associated factors of depressive symptoms in adult couples over the age of 50.

Methods

The study collected data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019/2020, and extracted couples over the age of 50. Logistic regression was used to analyze the associated factors of depressive symptoms in couples.

Results

Binary Logistic regression showed the husbands' age (OR: 1.41, 95%CI: (1.11, 1.80)) and social activities (OR: 0.60, 95%CI: (0.45, 0.79)) were associated with depressive symptoms in wives. Wives' education level (OR: 0.62, 95%CI: (0.46, 0.85)), life satisfaction (OR: 0.57, 95%CI: (0.39, 0.84)) and number of chronic diseases (OR: 1.38, 95%CI: (1.10, 1.73)) were associated with depressive symptoms in husbands. Multinomial logistic regression found that couple's age "≥ 65 years" (OR: 1.45, 95%CI: (1.11, 1.90)), "low" education level (OR: 1.64, 95%CI: (1.07, 2.52)), self-rated health "good" (OR: 0.48, 95%CI: (0.29, 0.80)), life satisfaction "very satisfied" (OR: 0.48, 95%CI: (0.31, 0.75)) and "having" social activities (OR: 0.34, 95%CI: (0.19, 0.60)) were associated with the risk of depressive symptoms in couples. Having "≥ 2" chronic diseases (OR: 1.94, 95%CI: (1.22, 3.10)) was also associated with depressive symptoms in couples.

Conclusion

Age, education level, social activities, life satisfaction, self-rated health and number of chronic diseases were associated with depressive symptoms in both individuals and couples.