What is the relationship between falls, functional limitations, and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults? The role of living alone

•Living arrangements in old age are an important determinant of health in Chinese older adults, particularly those who are at risk of falls.•Older adults living alone who fall tend to report functional limitations and depressive symptoms.•Functional limitations mediate the association between falls...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Maturitas 2023-02, Vol.168, p.78-83
Main Authors: Yang, Rumei, Wang, Haocen, Tracy, Eunjin Lee, Jo, Yeon Jung, Sward, Katherine A., Edelman, Linda S., Demiris, George
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
China - epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression
Depression - complications
East Asian People
Falls
Functional limitations
Home Environment
Humans
Living arrangement
Longitudinal Studies
Middle Aged
Older adults
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Summary:•Living arrangements in old age are an important determinant of health in Chinese older adults, particularly those who are at risk of falls.•Older adults living alone who fall tend to report functional limitations and depressive symptoms.•Functional limitations mediate the association between falls and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults. Although the association between falls and depressive symptoms is well documented, the mechanisms underlying this association remain largely unexplored. We investigated the mediation role of functional limitations in the association between falls and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults and determined whether the living arrangement (living alone or not) is a significant moderator of the above-mentioned mediation pathway. Cross-sectional study. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale short form (CESD-10), on which higher scores indicate higher levels of depressive symptoms. We used the harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study national baseline data (2011–2012 year) involving 7410 participants aged 60 years and over. After adjusting for covariates (e.g., age and sex), the effects of falls on depressive symptoms were seen to be mediated by functional limitations among Chinese older adults (β = 0.82, p 
ISSN:0378-5122
1873-4111
DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2022.10.007