Journal Article

Association of perceived childhood socio-economic status and health with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in India: using data from LASI Wave I, 2017–2018

Khanal, Gayatri, Selvamani, Y.

2024

Overview

Background Childhood adverse experience has been linked with poor health outcomes across the life course. Nevertheless, whether such an association or direction could be projected to older people’s life remains still unclear and needs to generate more evidence, particularly in India. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the association of childhood socio-economic status and health with depressive symptoms amongst middle- aged and older adults in India. Methods The data for the study was drawn from national representative survey “Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)” Wave I, 2017–2018 in order to conduct cross-sectional study. Multivariable regression analysis was used to examine the association of childhood socioeconomic status and health with depressive symptoms in the older population. Results Poor childhood health was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms (AoR: 1.56, CI: 1.19, 2.04). Likewise, respondents who were bedridden for a month during their childhood had high odds of developing depressive symptoms (AoR: 1.16 CI: 1.01, 1.34). In addition to this, the odds of having depressive symptoms increased significantly among the average (AoR: 1.28 CI: 1.08, 1.51) and poor childhood socioeconomic status group (AoR: 1.31 CI: 1.11, 1.55) as compared to the higher socioeconomic category. Conclusions Childhood socioeconomic status and health have a significant role in determining mental health in later life. Results suggest that considering childhood socioeconomic status and health is important while diagnosing depression in older population in order to identify the significant associated factors in early childhood and thus help in preventing depressive symptoms in later life.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Aged / Aged patients / Aging / Care and treatment / Child & adolescent mental health / Child, Preschool / Childhood / Childhood health / Childhood socioeconomic status / Children / Collaboration / Comorbidity / Consent / Cross-Sectional Studies / Demographic aspects / Demographics / Depression - diagnosis / Depression - epidemiology / Depression, Mental / Depressive symptoms / Diagnosis / Disease / Economic Status / Employment / Epidemiology / Family income / Geriatrics/Gerontology / Health aspects / Households / Humans / Immobilization / India - epidemiology / LASI / Marital status / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental depression / Mental disorders / Mental health / Middle age / Middle Aged / Middle-aged and older adults / Older people / Per capita / Population / Psychological aspects / Public health / Rehabilitation / Rural areas / Social classes / Socioeconomic factors / Socioeconomic status / The impact of early-life/childhood circumstances or conditions on the health of older adults / Urban areas / Variables