Table 1.
Descriptive statistics of the study sample (N = 10,935)
| Variables | Mean (%) | SD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent variable | Depressive symptoms (cesd-10a score) (0–30) | 7.3 | 6 |
| Independent variable | Inter-generational financial transfers (log of transfers) | 7.5 | 1.3 |
| Other transfers | Whether take care of grandchildren | ||
| No (ref.) | 58.1% | ||
| Yes | 41.9% | ||
| Contact with children | |||
| Seldom(ref.) | 37.4% | ||
| Sometimes | 34.5% | ||
| Often | 28.1% | ||
| Living with any child | |||
| No(ref.) | 56.7% | ||
| Yes | 43.3% | ||
| Demographic factors: | Age group | ||
| 45–56(ref.) | 23.7% | ||
| 56–62 | 24.9% | ||
| 62–69 | 25.4% | ||
| 69- | 26.0% | ||
| Gender | |||
| Male (ref.) | 46.8% | ||
| Female | 53.2% | ||
| Marital status | |||
| Other (ref.) | 14.0% | ||
| Living with spouse | 86.0% | ||
| Socioeconomic factors: | Education level (1–10)b | 3.1 | 1.9 |
| Income level | 8.6 | 1 | |
| Amenities/associations (0–14)c | 3.1 | 3.4 | |
| Areas of china | |||
| Northwest (ref.) | 6.1% | ||
| Southwest | 18.9% | ||
| Northeast | 7.1% | ||
| East | 23.9% | ||
| South | 8.4% | ||
| Central | 22.4% | ||
| North | 13.2% | ||
| Rural-urban | |||
| Rural (ref.) | 66.3% | ||
| Urban | 33.7% | ||
| Health and social factors: | Any difficulty with ADLd | ||
| No (ref.) | 92.8% | ||
| Yes | 7.2% | ||
| Chronic disease (0–10)e | 0.4 | 0.8 | |
| Whether participated in any social activities | |||
| No (ref.) | 39.6% | ||
| Yes | 60.4% | ||
| Whether still on work | |||
| No (ref.) | 35.0% | ||
| Yes | 65.0% | ||
SD = standard deviation
a CEDS-10: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Range 0–30, Mean = 7.3, SD = 6.0)
b Education level: including 10 levels,1 = No formal education (illiterate);2 = Did not finish primary school but capable of reading and/or writing;3 = home school;4 = Elementary school;5 = Middle school;6 = High school;7 = Vocational school;8 = Two-/Three-Year College/Associate degree;9 = Four-Year College/Bachelor degree;10 = Master degree (Range1–10, mean = 3.1, SD = 1.9)
c Amenities/associations (0–14): Summed number of amenities/associations, was used to assess community building level, which was significantly associated with the mental health. (Rang 0–14, Mean = 3.1,SD = 3.4)
d ADL: activities of daily living (dressing, walking, bathing, eating, getting in/out of bed, toileting, and experiencing incontinence)
e Chronic disease: summed number of diagnosed chronic disease (hypertension, Dyslipidemia, diabetes or high blood sugar, Cancer or malignant tumor, Chronic lung diseases, Liver disease, Heart attack, Stroke, Kidney disease, Stomach or other digestive disease, Stomach or other digestive disease, Stomach or other digestive disease, Arthritis or rheumatism, Asthma) (range0–14, Mean = 0.4, SD = 0.8)