Urban-rural disparities in depressive symptoms and related factors among offspring of advanced maternal mothers: A national cross-sectional study in China

Background: Urbanization remains an important factor affecting the mental health of people. Currently, there is insufficient research on depression among the offspring of women who have children at an advanced maternal age (AMA). The objective of this study is to investigate the urban and rural disparities in depressive symptoms among the offspring of AMA and related influencing factors. Methods: In this study, a total of 1273 offspring born to AMA were selected from the fourth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database. The questionnaire used in the study included demographic information and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were employed to examine the urban -rural differences. Results: The likelihood of developing depressive symptoms of the offspring of AMA in rural areas was 1.633 times higher (AOR = 1.633; 95%CI: 1.211-2.202) compared to their urban counterparts. Several factors including gender, education, marital status, disability, chronic diseases, and sleep duration showed a linkage with depression among rural based offspring of AMA. For the urban offspring of AMA, only disability and sleep duration exhibited a significant association with depressive symptoms. Limitations: This study cannot establish a causal relationship between depressive symptoms and the influencing factors for the offspring of AMA. Age range and variables of the respondents needs further consideration. Conclusions: This study has brought to light the elevated risk of depressive symptoms among rural -based offspring of AMA. Thus, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions and measures to address the negative impact.