Analysis of the prevalence and influencing factors of depression in middle-aged women: A nationwide study from CHARLS

Depression accounts for a large portion of the global burden of disease, and few large-sample studies have investigated the prevalence of depression in middle-aged women. This study examined the prevalence and factors influencing depression in middle-aged women. Cross-sectional data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were used, selecting middle-aged women aged 45–59 years. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors. 3723 middle-aged women were included in the study, 1537 (41.28 %) had depressive symptoms, 2186 (58.72 %) had no depressive symptoms. The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that sleep duration, old-age insurance, body pain, drinking, fall, self-related health, life satisfaction, residence, education and marital status were the influencing factors for middle-aged women (P<0.05). Depression in middle-aged Chinese women is influenced by a variety of factors. This study suggests that this population can be targeted for prevention in terms of demographic characteristics, behavioral habits, and healthcare configuration for middle-aged women who are in poor health, and with low life satisfaction.