A Link between Prenatal Stage of Life during the Great Chinese Famine and Subsequent Depressive Symptoms among Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

ABSTRACT: Prenatal malnutrition may increase the risk of depressive symptoms in adulthood. This study investigated the association between prenatal exposure to malnutrition with risk of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults using the Chinese Great Famine of 1959-1961 as a natural experiment. Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study baseline survey (2011). A total of 5391 individuals born from 1956 to 1965 were included in the study. Depressive symptoms were ascertained via the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale short form. Famine severity was measured using the cohort size shrinkage index. Difference-in-differences models were used to explore the association between prenatal famine exposure and later-life depressive symptoms. Compared

SUBMITTER: Du Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10647632 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature