IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0110877.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Urban Chinese Women during Midlife

Author

Listed:
  • Carmen K M Wong
  • Jun Liang
  • Man L Chan
  • Yin H Chan
  • Laam Chan
  • Kwong Y Wan
  • Ming S Ng
  • Dicken C C Chan
  • Samuel Y S Wong
  • Martin C S Wong

Abstract

Objective: Depression is common in women with much research focusing on hormonal changes and menopausal symptoms but with little exploration of psychosocial problems in midlife. This study investigates the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in midlife Chinese women and its association with psychosocial factors. Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based household survey of women aged 45 to 64 years of age was conducted in Hong Kong from September 2010 to March 2011. The structured questionnaire included demographic data, educational status, marital status and household income, as well as perceived current stressful events and significant life events in the past 12 months. Information on clinically relevant depressive symptoms was measured by the validated chinese Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results: A total of 402 participants were recruited in the study period. Of the 393 women who completed the questionnaire, the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score≧10) was 11.0%. In multiple regression analysis, being single/divorced/separated/widowed, having an educational level of primary school level or below, having multiple chronic diseases, loss of hobby or loss of close social support in the past 12 months in midlife were associated with clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Correlates of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in midlife Chinese women can be used to identify those at increased risk and potentiate further studies to explore early psychosocial and community interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Carmen K M Wong & Jun Liang & Man L Chan & Yin H Chan & Laam Chan & Kwong Y Wan & Ming S Ng & Dicken C C Chan & Samuel Y S Wong & Martin C S Wong, 2014. "Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Urban Chinese Women during Midlife," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0110877
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110877
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110877
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110877&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0110877?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bracke, Piet, 2000. "The three-year persistence of depressive symptoms in men and women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 51-64, July.
    2. O'Campo, Patricia & Eaton, William W. & Muntaner, Carles, 2004. "Labor market experience, work organization, gender inequalities and health status: results from a prospective analysis of US employed women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 585-594, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alecxandrina Deaconu & Lavina Rasca, 2015. "Leadership And The Gender Balance: Past, Present And Perspectives," Risk in Contemporary Economy, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, pages 160-168.
    2. Menéndez, María & Benach, Joan & Muntaner, Carles & Amable, Marcelo & O'Campo, Patricia, 2007. "Is precarious employment more damaging to women's health than men's?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 776-781, February.
    3. Okechukwu, Cassandra A. & Kelly, Erin L. & Bacic, Janine & DePasquale, Nicole & Hurtado, David & Kossek, Ellen & Sembajwe, Grace, 2016. "Supporting employees' work-family needs improves health care quality: Longitudinal evidence from long-term care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 111-119.
    4. Bjelland, Ingvar & Krokstad, Steinar & Mykletun, Arnstein & Dahl, Alv A. & Tell, Grethe S. & Tambs, K., 2008. "Does a higher educational level protect against anxiety and depression? The HUNT study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 1334-1345, March.
    5. Kate W. Strully & Robert Bozick & Ying Huang & Lane F. Burgette, 2020. "Employer Verification Mandates and Infant Health," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(6), pages 1143-1184, December.
    6. Michael Kraus & Taha Karaman, 2013. "Parameters of education and the course of depression: An analysis in the Turkish sociocultural context," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(4), pages 318-331, June.
    7. Rita Watterson & Lynn McIntyre & Krista Rondeau, 2013. "A case of gendered hazards and health effects for ultra-poor women," Chapters, in: Deborah M. Figart & Tonia L. Warnecke (ed.), Handbook of Research on Gender and Economic Life, chapter 28, pages 454-467, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Alice Sanwald & Engelbert Theurl, 2014. "Atypical Employment and Health: A Meta-Analysis," Working Papers 2014-15, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    9. Kim, Il-Ho & Muntaner, Carles & Khang, Young-Ho & Paek, Domyung & Cho, Sung-Il, 2006. "The relationship between nonstandard working and mental health in a representative sample of the South Korean population," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 566-574, August.
    10. Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej & Dominika Bąk-Grabowska, 2021. "The Impact of Mandate Contract and Self-Employment on Workers’ Health—Evidence from Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-20, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0110877. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.