Study On The Difference Of Depression Among Urban And Rural Elderly People In China

After the 1990 s,fertility rates in developed countries generally decreased,and the age structure of the population in developing countries gradually shifted from adult to elderly.The issue of aging has become a global concern.The United Nations’ report on population aging released in 2020 mentioned that the number of elderly people is expected to increase by more than twice in the next 30 years,and all countries will continue to see an increase in elderly population between 2020 and 2050.Since the formal implementation of the family planning policy in 1980,China has completed the process of mild aging society in less than 20 years.According to the census results,the proportion of the population aged 60 and above in China was 13.26% in 2010,18.7%in 2020,and the proportion of the elderly population increased by 5.44%.China’s population aging is gradually deepening and accelerating.The number of elderly people has skyrocketed,and the current society’s eligible age population has a low willingness to have children.The population structure is imbalanced,and the phenomenon of empty nest elderly people is severe,undoubtedly affecting the health of the elderly.Psychological health is a particularly important component of health,and depression is an important indicator for mental health evaluation.The incidence of depression symptoms in elderly people in China has significantly increased compared to before.Depression has a great harm to the elderly,causing damage to their psychological and physical functions,reducing the quality of life in later years,further affecting family harmony,and increasing the risk of suicide and death in the elderly.With the gradual deepening of China’s aging population,the number of elderly people affected by depression will continue to increase.Given the above background,this article selects the latest data from the China Health and Elderly Care Tracking Survey(CHARLS)in2018.Considering the national conditions of China’s urban-rural dual structure and the significant differences in social and family environments faced by urban and rural elderly people,a depression index is constructed to fully understand the depression status of urban and rural elderly people in China from the overall and different characteristics,Using cross table analysis to screen out factors that have an impact on whether elderly people suffer from depression,using binary logistic regression to study the differences in the impact of various variables on the depression status of elderly people across the country and in urban and rural areas,and proposing reasonable suggestions.About 40% of the elderly in our country suffer from varying degrees of depression,and to some extent,they all have some physical health problems.The proportion of elderly people suffering from mild,moderate,and severe depression is 22.5%,10.8%,and 8.1%,with a depression index of 66.34.Nearly 80% of elderly people believe that their health condition is average or below,while nearly 90% of elderly people have cognitive and memory problems.More than 40% of elderly people suffer from chronic diseases,and nearly 70% of elderly people have varying degrees of physical pain problems.Nearly 80% of elderly people have physical dysfunction,and over 60% of elderly people have impaired mobility.Under the sociological characteristics,women,rural areas,and the elderly population with low educational backgrounds should be the focus of attention.Women have a higher degree of depression than men,and are more likely to suffer from depression.The probability of elderly women in rural areas is slightly higher than that in urban areas.The degree of depression among elderly people in rural areas is higher than that in urban areas,and the probability of depression is 1.555 times higher than that in urban areas.As the level of education decreases,the overall degree of depression shows a downward trend,and the probability of suffering from depression gradually decreases.Subjective evaluation and physical health are the two major individual factors that affect whether urban and rural elderly people are depressed.The more subjective evaluations tend to be negative,the greater the degree of depression.When satisfaction is lowest,the degree of depression in urban areas is higher than that in rural areas.The lower the self rated health and life satisfaction,the faster the probability of developing depression.Pain,disorders,damage,or chronic diseases in the body can increase the level of depression.When there is a lot of pain or poor condition,the level of depression in urban elderly people is higher than that in rural areas.The frequent occurrence of physical pain and physical dysfunction can increase the likelihood of depression.Suffering from chronic diseases only affects elderly people in rural areas and increases the risk of depression.Short sleep duration,lack of physical activity,and social participation in lifestyle habits can all increase the degree of depression,and appropriately increasing sleep time can reduce the likelihood of depression in elderly people,especially in rural areas.Having a job can reduce the degree of depression and only affect the elderly in urban areas,reducing the risk of depression.Marital status and child status are two major family factors that affect whether elderly people in urban and rural areas are depressed.Elderly people who are widowed and divorced have a higher level of depression than those who are married and unmarried.Due to their active and passive choices,widowed and divorced individuals have a higher level of depression.Compared to being married,widowhood increases the risk of depression.The more children there are,the greater the degree of depression,which only affects the elderly in urban areas and increases the likelihood of developing depression.Frequent or low frequency of meeting with children can increase the level of depression,and compared to high frequency,low frequency can increase the risk of depression in elderly people.A low total amount of economic support cash can lead to a greater degree of depression,but when the amount is too large,children may not provide enough mental care to their parents,which can also lead to a higher degree of depression.The total amount of cash only has an impact on rural elderly people,and sufficient cash will reduce the risk of depression.There is a significant difference in whether urban and rural elderly people suffer from depression under social support.Having pension insurance and a salary can both reduce depression levels,and rural areas have higher levels of depression.Pension insurance only affects the elderly in urban areas,and the absence of pension insurance increases the risk of depression.Wages only have an impact on rural elderly people,and having a salary can reduce the likelihood of depression.