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Smoking and depressive symptoms in Chinese elderly in Hong Kong
Author(s) -
Lam T. H.,
Li Z. B.,
Ho S. Y.,
Chan W. M.,
Ho K. S.,
Li M. P.,
Leung G. M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00342.x
Subject(s) - medicine , depressive symptoms , odds ratio , confidence interval , logistic regression , depression (economics) , cross sectional study , demography , psychiatry , anxiety , pathology , sociology , economics , macroeconomics
Objective: To examine the association between smoking and depressive symptoms among Chinese elderly in Hong Kong. Method: Cross‐sectional data on smoking and depressive symptoms from 56 167 Chinese elderly aged 65 or over in Hong Kong were analysed using logistic regression. Results: Current smokers and former smokers were more likely to have depressive symptoms than never smokers. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in males and females respectively were 1.62 (1.34–1.96) and 1.43 (1.20–1.70) for current smokers, and were 1.18 (0.99–1.40) and 1.29 (1.12–1.47) for former smokers. Former smokers were less likely to have depressive symptoms than current smokers (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70–0.92). Conclusion: Smoking is positively associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese elderly. Health care workers should be vigilant about the detection of depressive symptoms in elderly smokers.