Gender-specific associations between activities of daily living disability and depressive symptoms among older adults in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Purpose To evaluate the associations between BADL/IADL disability and depressive symptoms from the perspective of gender among older adults in China. Methods This cross-sectional study used the data from the second wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The sample included 3463 older adults aged 60 years and older across China. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted. Results Among 3463 older adults, 1240 (35.8%) were classified as depressed, the prevalence of BADL and IADL disabilities were 756 (21.8%) and 1194 (34.5%), respectively. After controlling for covariates, BADL/IADL disability was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression prevalence both in men and women among older adults. Compared with IADL independent, IADL disability was about two times more likely to develop depressive symptoms in men (OR = 2.165, 95% CI = 1.661–2.822), which was much higher than that in women (OR = 1.748, 95% CI = 1.415–2.160). In contrast, the odds of being depressed for women with BADL disability (OR = 1.824, 95% CI = 1.447–2.299) were much higher than the odds for men with BADL disability (OR = 1.791, 95% CI = 1.348–2.379). Conclusions Older adults with BADL/IADL disability were more likely to have depressive symptoms both for men and women. However, the associations between depressive symptoms and BADL/IADL disability were different in gender. Our results suggest that differential institutional care service and appropriate strategies for improvement in mental health are required.