Long-term effects of health during childhood on depressive symptoms in later life: evidence from a nationally representative survey in China
Our findings suggest that childhood health may influence mental well-being in later life. Promoting healthy behaviors from early childhood could help reduce depression risk in older age. However, the reliance on self-reported data and a cross-sectional design limit causal interpretation. Preventive care and targeted interventions for vulnerable children should be prioritized to improve long-term mental health outcomes.
Authors
- Chunyan Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3192-3126)
- Pengtao Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0190-0935)
- Zengchang Pang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4746-0074)
- Yinghui You (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2331-546X)
- Jie Ban (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5865-0573)
- Runzhou Sun
- Ling Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1736-7880)
- Zimo Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6857-3505)
Institutions
- Beijing Tongren Hospital (CN)
- Capital Medical University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2025-03-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21862-w
- Primary Topic
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00