The bidirectional association between the disability in activity of daily living and depression: A Longitudinal research based on Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults

Abstract

Aim Depression and decline in the activities of daily life (ADL) are common in middle-aged and older adults. This study investigated the bidirectional relationship between depression and disability in ADL in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Methods Data from a baseline study of 17,596 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and two follow-up visits at 4 and 7 years were included. We designed Stage A and Stage B respectively to explore the interaction between depression and impaired ability of daily living in middle-aged and elderly people. Results Individuals with disability in ADL at baseline had adjusted OR of 1.331 (1.118, 1.584) and 1.969 (1.585, 2.448) for developing depression compared with those without disability in ADL at the 4- and 7-years follow-up, respectively. Individuals with depression at baseline had an adjusted OR of 1.353 (1.127, 1.625) and 1.347 (1.130, 1.604), respectively, for developing disability in ADL 4 and 7 years later. Conclusions There was a bidirectional relationship between depression and disability in ADL. Depression increased the risk of disability in ADL, but did not increase with time, while the effect of disability in ADL on depression increased with time.