Effect of patterns of social activities on depressive symptoms among older adults in china: a latent class analysis of CHARLS.

Social isolation and loneliness have been identified as a public health priority and can lead to depression. Participating in social activities reduces depression and loneliness. This study examined patterns of social activities among Chinese older adults and its impact on depressive symptoms utilizing data from 8,259 respondents aged 60 years and over in the 2018 and 2020 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS). It was hypothesized that social activity patterns that involve more interaction with others are more beneficial to the depressive symptoms of older adults. Latent class analysis was employed to explore patterns of social activities in 2018, and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms in 2020. The study identified four distinct types of social activity patterns, e.g. socially active, face-to-face interaction, internet adaptive, and socially inactive. Older adults in China are characterized by being socially inactive, accounting for 89.22% of the total respondents. Socially active, face-to-face-interaction, and socially inactive older adults were significantly more likely to be depressed in 2020 than those who were internet adaptive. Compared to those who were internet adaptive, respondents who were socially active had 1.50 times higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms in 2020. Providing culturally appropriate and tailored activities for older adults is imperative to reduce loneliness and depression among them. Several limitations may affect the interpretation and application of the results of this study.