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Spousal concordance in adverse childhood experiences and the association with depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults: findings across China, the US, and Europe

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Dexter CanoyORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Copyright © 2023 Sun, Ren, Zhu, Cheng, Liu, Li, Xia, Yuan, Adeloye, Rudan, Canoy, Song, on behalf of the Global Health Epidemiology Research Group (GHERG). Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with higher depressive risks in adulthood. Whether respondents’ ACEs are associated with their own depressive symptoms in adulthood and whether this association extends to their spouses’ depressive symptoms remain unexplored. Methods: Data were from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). ACEs were categorized into overall, intra-familial, and extra-familial ACEs. Correlations of couples’ ACEs were calculated using Cramer’s V and partial Spearman’s correlation. Associations of respondents’ ACEs with spousal depressive symptoms were assessed using logistic regression, and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the mediating role of respondents’ depressive symptoms. Results: Significant associations between husbands’ ACEs and wives’ depressive symptoms, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 2.09 (1.36–3.22) for 4 or more ACEs in CHARLS, and 1.25 (1.06–1.48) and 1.38 (1.06–1.79) for 2 or more ACEs in HRS and SHARE. However, wives’ ACEs were associated with husbands’ depressive symptoms only in CHARLS and SHARE. Findings in intra-familial and extra-familial ACEs were consistent with our main results. Additionally, respondents’ depressive symptoms mediated more than 20% of the effect of respondents’ ACEs on spousal depressive symptoms. Conclusion: We found that ACEs were significantly correlated between couples. Respondents’ ACEs were associated with spousal depressive symptoms, with respondents’ depressive symptoms mediating the association. The bidirectional implications of ACEs on depressive symptoms should be considered within household and effective interventions are warranted.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Sun W, Ren Z, Zhu S, Cheng S, Liu W, Li HCW, Xia W, Yuan C, Adeloye D, Rudan I, Canoy D, Song P

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Frontiers in Public Health

Year: 2023

Volume: 11

Online publication date: 05/06/2023

Acceptance date: 12/05/2023

Date deposited: 01/03/2024

ISSN (electronic): 2296-2565

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1158590

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1158590

Data Access Statement: Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the websites of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study at http://charls.pku.edu.cn/en, Health and Retirement Study at https://hrsdata.isr.umich.edu/, and Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe at https://share-eric.eu.

PubMed id: 37383257


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
European Commission
National Institute on Aging
NIA U01AG009740

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