Depression has been reported as one of the most prevalent psychiatric illnesses globally. This study aimed to obtain information on the global burden of depression and its associated spatiotemporal variation, by exploring the correlation between the global burden of depression and the social development index (SDI) and associated risk factors. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease study from 1990 to 2019, we described the prevalence and burden of disease in 204 countries across 21 regions, including sex and age differences and the relationship between the global disease burden and SDI. The age-standardized rate and estimated annual percentage change were used to assess the global burden of depression. Individuals with documented depression globally ranged from 182,183,358 in 1990 to 290,185,742 in 2019, representing an increase of 0.59%. More patients experienced major depressive disorder than dysthymia. The incidence and disability-adjusted life years of depression were the highest in the 60–64 age group and much higher in females than in males, with this trend occurring across all ages. The age-standardized incidence and adjusted life-years-disability rates varied with different SDI levels. Relevant risk factors for depression were identified. National governments must support research to improve prevention and treatment interventions.

The goal of the study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) and depression and provide further insights into the relationship between QOL and depression among community-dwelling elderly Chinese people. Baseline data were collected from 1168 older adults (aged ≥ 60) in a large, prospective cohort study on measurement and evaluation of health-promoting and health-protecting behaviors intervention on chronic disease in different community-dwelling age groups. QOL was assessed using the 26-item, World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and depression was assessed using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The mean WHOQOL-BREF score for all dimensions was approximately 60, with the highest mean value (61.92) observed for social relationships, followed by environment, physical health, and psychological health domains. In this cohort, 26.1% of elderly urban adults met GDS criteria for depression. There were negative correlations between physical health (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.928, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.910–0.946), psychological health (OR = 0.906, 95% CI: 0.879–0.934), environment (OR = 0.966, 95% CI: 0.944–0.989) and depression among elderly people. Those with depression were older, less educated, had a lower monthly income, and were more likely to report insomnia. All WHOQOL-BREF domains, with the exception of the social domain were negatively correlated with depression.

In China, the problems of population aging and empty nesting have become important issues which will affect the social stability and economic development. The aim of this study was to explore the health promoting lifestyles and influencing factors among empty nesters and compare with non-empty nesters to find out their differences, so as to provide a scientific evidence for people to formulate health management strategies for elderly. A cross-sectional survey which used a stratified random cluster sampling method, was conducted among 500 elders in six districts of Taiyuan, China, there were 288 empty nesters and 212 non-empty nesters. The general information and health- promoting lifestyles were investigated by using the self-made General Information Questionnaire and Health Promoting Lifestyle Scale(HPLP). Two-sample t-test and Chi-square test were used to compare the sociodemographic factors, HPLP scores of empty nesters to non-empty nesters; Multiple stepwise linear regression was performed to estimate influencing factors related to the HPLP of empty nesters and non-empty nesters. The current findings showed that there were differences between the empty nesters and non-empty nesters in gender, resident, marital status, education and income, self-care ability, source of income, relationship with spouse and social activities (P < 0.05). Empty nesters were mostly male, married, had a higher education level, self-care ability and income and lived in urban compared with non-empty nesters. The health promoting lifestyles of the elderly in this survey were in the medium level, the highest score for all dimensions in both groups was in nutrition, whereas health responsibility was executed worst. The HPLP and six subscales scores of the empty nesters were higher than non-empty nesters, there were significant differences in total score of HPLP, self-realization and health responsibility (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that the main predictive factors for the empty nesters were education, self-care ability and resident, whereas the main predictive factors for the non-empty nesters were parents-child relationship, source of income and age; social activity was the common factor for two group. The health promoting lifestyles of the empty nesters was better than that of the non-empty nesters. Health responsibility, interpersonal relations and stress management were key dimensions to be improved. Except social activity, education, self-care ability and resident were the unique influencing factors of health-promoting lifestyles for empty nesters, while the parents-child relationship, income and age were unique factors for non-empty nesters. The main target of Intervention strategy for elderly health promoting lifestyles should be the enhance of health responsibility, interpersonal relations and stress management by improving social activities, parent-child relationship, education and income of elderly.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, quarantine as an effective public health measure has been widely used in China and elsewhere to slow down the spread, while high-risk psychological response populations remain under-reported.Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the depressive and anxiety symptoms among the high-risk individuals quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.Methods: An online survey was conducted from February 29 to April 10, 2020, among individuals quarantined for at least 2 weeks due to the high-risk exposure. Chinese versions of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) with a seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) were applied to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Compliance with quarantine and knowledge of COVID-19 was also assessed. An unconditional logistic regression model was performed to identify the correlators.Results: Of the 1,260 participants completing the full survey, 14.0% (95% CI: 12.2–16.1%), 7.1% (95% CI: 5.9–8.7%), and 6.3% (95% CI: 5.1–7.8%) had at least moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and a combination of depression and anxiety (CDA), respectively; 14.8% (95% CI: 13.0–16.9%) had at least one condition. Multivariate analysis showed that participants with an undergraduate or above degree were more likely to report depressive (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.56–5.72) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.14–7.63) than those with middle school education. Those who were unemployed (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.21–0.65 for depression; OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.14–0.73 for anxiety), students (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04–0.48 for depression; OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01–0.85 for anxiety), and more knowledgeable of COVID-19 (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73–0.96 for depression, OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98 for anxiety) were less likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms. Higher quarantine compliance correlated with lower risks of depressive (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91–0.96) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91–0.98).Conclusion: Individuals under quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic suffered prevalent depressive and anxiety symptoms. Consequently, comprehensive interventional measures, including knowledge dissemination, timely virus tests, and strengthened communication, may minimize quarantine's adverse effects.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of behaviours such as social distancing in controlling pandemics. Currently, the epidemic is under control in China and production has resumed in various industries. This study investigates the behavioural compliance and related factors for COVID-19 prevention among employees returning to the workplace and provide strategic recommendations for improving individual-level preventive behaviour to prevent a new outbreak. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. Data were gathered from returning employees in China using an online questionnaire survey, from March to May, 2020. The questionnaire covered participants’ COVID-19-related knowledge, compliance with recommended preventive behaviours, and levels of depression and anxiety. Univariate and multi-factor methods were used to analyse the data and identify factors influencing behaviour compliance. Results: Of the 1300 participants completing the full survey, more than half were male (71.92%) and 61% were aged between 31 and 50 years. Six hundred and ninety-eight (53.7%) participants showed high compliance, while 602 (46.3%) showed low compliance. In models adjusted for demographic and socio-economic factors, high education level (odds ratio [OR] = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07–0.70), office staff (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33–0.78), higher knowledge of COVID-19 (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.67–0.81), and quarantining (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57–0.96) predicted better compliance with preventive behaviours (P < 0.05), while high anxiety levels (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10–2.18) predicted lower compliance with preventive behaviours (P < 0.05). Conclusion: For employees returning to work during the post-COVID-19-epidemic period, compliance with recommended preventive behaviours requires improvement. Consequently, comprehensive intervention measures, including the provision of health education and psychological counselling, as well as the continuance of a strict isolation policy, could enhance such compliance.

The decline in fertility intentions has emerged as a critical demographic and policy challenge within China, particularly in light of the introduction of the three-child policy. This situation necessitates a thorough examination of the multiple underlying factors that contribute to individuals’ decisions regarding family size. By analyzing these diverse influences, policymakers and stakeholders will be better equipped to design effective interventions aimed at addressing this urgent issue. A nuanced comprehension of the complexities surrounding low fertility intentions is essential for promoting family growth and fostering stability within the nation. Ultimately, a targeted approach informed by these insights will be vital for encouraging a cultural shift towards larger families and ensuring the long-term demographic health of China. In our research, we performed a cross-sectional analysis using data gathered in 2022 from the Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR), which encompassed 21,916 participants aged 18 to 49 years. We assessed fertility intention scores for respondents based on their preferences for having a first, second, and third child, employing a scoring system that ranged from 0 to 100. To investigate the impact of various factors on fertility intentions, we organized the independent variables into three primary domains: socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and health behaviors, and family structure. We utilized domain-specific multivariate linear regression analyses, along with gender-stratified models, and examined interaction effects. The explanatory capacity of each model was evaluated by calculating R² values, which offered insights into the variance accounted for by the independent variables. Our research indicated that men demonstrated significantly higher scores for fertility intention than women, with a meaningful statistical difference (β = 7.63, p < 0.001). Various factors were recognized as positive indicators of fertility intention, such as being younger, residing in rural areas, having a favorable self-evaluation of health, and marital status. Moreover, behaviors like smoking and current alcohol use showed significant associations with fertility intentions. In our examination of family-related factors, we discovered that dual-income households without children (DINK) and nuclear family setups were linked to lower fertility intentions, whereas those living with parents expressed greater intentions to parent. Importantly, the interaction effects suggested that women faced a more pronounced decline in fertility intentions as age increased. Among the factors studied, socio-demographic characteristics explained the largest proportion of variance in fertility intentions (R² = 0.086). Fertility intentions in China are shaped by various factors, such as differences between genders, individual health, and family structure. To tackle the challenge of decreasing fertility rates effectively, it is essential that interventions focus on younger women and highlight the advantages of living with multiple generations. In addition, reproductive policies ought to consider health and lifestyle factors, establishing a more comprehensive strategy to encourage family expansion in urban settings. Through the adoption of these approaches, stakeholders can strive to counteract the patterns of low fertility intentions and create an environment that supports family growth.