Association between household solid fuel use for cooking and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly adults in rural China: Evidence from the China Family Panel Studies Database
- VernacularTitle:基于CFPS数据库的烹饪固体燃料使用与我国农村中老年人抑郁症状的关系研究
- Author:
Ting YANG
1
;
Yong LIU
2
;
Xufeng LI
1
;
Yun GAI
1
;
Zhihao XIE
3
;
Junkui WANG
4
;
Yong YU
5
;
Jingxuan WANG
5
Author Information
- Publication Type:Investigation
- Keywords: solid fuel; indoor air pollution; depressive symptom; rural area; middle-aged and elderly resident; multilevel modeling
- From: Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):926-931
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Background Although current evidence suggests a link between outdoor air pollution and depressive symptoms, the effect of solid fuel use (a significant indoor air pollutant) on depressive symptoms in China's rural middle-aged and elderly population remains poorly understood. Objective To explore the association between solid fuel use for cooking and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas of China, and to provide a basis for the prevention and control of depressive symptoms among residents in rural areas. Methods Data were obtained from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), depressive symptoms were assessed using 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and cooking fuel type was self-reported. Subsequently, two-level binary unconditional logistic regression models were fitted to assess the impact of solid fuel use for cooking on depressive symptoms. Results A total of
7991 participants aged 45 years and older [mean age (58.52±9.18) years] were included in the study, with a mean CES-D score of 6.07±4.48 and a mean positive depressive symptoms rate of 34% (40.54% in the solid fuel group and 30.81% in the clean fuel group, χ2=74.40, P<0.001). After controlling for potential confounding covariates, rural middle-aged and elderly residents in the solid fuel group had a higher risk of reporting depressive symptoms than those in the clean fuel group (OR=1.36, 95%CI: 1.20-1.54), an association that was unaffected by participant characteristics and was positive across age and gender groups. Conclusion There is a positive association between solid fuel use for cooking and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas of China. It is recommended that rural areas promote the upgrading of stoves through the installation of ventilation equipment or the switch from solid cooking fuel to clean fuel. This approach is directed toward reducing exposure to household air pollution, alleviating the prevalence of depression among middle-aged and elderly residents in vast rural areas, and enhancing their mental health.
