Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data
Abstract Background The influence of different dimensions of intergenerational support on depression in older adults has a configuration effect. Existing researches have only used linear analyses to examine the independent effects of each dimension of intergenerational support on depression in older...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21532-x |
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| author | Qin Bai Duanduan Fu Shichen Chen Fang Wang Baizhi Gao Jinghui Zhu Guilin Liu |
| author_facet | Qin Bai Duanduan Fu Shichen Chen Fang Wang Baizhi Gao Jinghui Zhu Guilin Liu |
| author_sort | Qin Bai |
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| description | Abstract Background The influence of different dimensions of intergenerational support on depression in older adults has a configuration effect. Existing researches have only used linear analyses to examine the independent effects of each dimension of intergenerational support on depression in older adults, resulting in the nature of the effects of each dimension of intergenerational support on the presence of depression in older adults remaining highly controversial. Objective To explore the synergy and substitution effects (configurational effects) of dimensions of intergenerational support on depression in older adults. Method Based on data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS), depression among older adults was used as the outcome variable, and intergenerational support (including three dimensions of emotional, economic, and caregiving support) was used as the antecedent variable. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was used to analyze the configurational effects of intergenerational support on depression in older adults. Result A single dimension of intergenerational support cannot be a necessary condition for depression in older adults.Factor configurations of different dimensions of intergenerational support as a sufficient condition for depression in older adults. The consistency parameter for all solution configurations in this study is 0.83, with a coverage of 0.61. The research identifies four types of configurational patterns associated with older adults’ depression: “Unidirectional Care Deficiency Type” (consistency mean of 0.84, coverage of 0.49), “Bidirectional Care Deficiency Type” (consistency mean of 0.86, coverage of 0.33), “Bidirectional Economic Deficiency Type” (consistency mean of 0.85, coverage of 0.48), and “Mixed Type” (consistency mean of 0.83, coverage of 0.23). Conclusion Depression in older adults is influenced by the configurational effects of intergenerational support. The complex link between intergenerational support and depression in older adults should be examined from a holistic perspective, paying attention to the dynamic balance of intergenerational support reception and provision. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d7da1970a194dbfb092128e2cd97758 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d7da1970a194dbfb092128e2cd977582025-02-02T12:46:12ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-0125111010.1186/s12889-025-21532-xConfigurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS dataQin Bai0Duanduan Fu1Shichen Chen2Fang Wang3Baizhi Gao4Jinghui Zhu5Guilin Liu6School of Medical Humanities and Management, Wenzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Medical Humanities and Management, Wenzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Medical Humanities and Management, Wenzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Medical Humanities and Management, Wenzhou Medical UniversityAbstract Background The influence of different dimensions of intergenerational support on depression in older adults has a configuration effect. Existing researches have only used linear analyses to examine the independent effects of each dimension of intergenerational support on depression in older adults, resulting in the nature of the effects of each dimension of intergenerational support on the presence of depression in older adults remaining highly controversial. Objective To explore the synergy and substitution effects (configurational effects) of dimensions of intergenerational support on depression in older adults. Method Based on data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS), depression among older adults was used as the outcome variable, and intergenerational support (including three dimensions of emotional, economic, and caregiving support) was used as the antecedent variable. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was used to analyze the configurational effects of intergenerational support on depression in older adults. Result A single dimension of intergenerational support cannot be a necessary condition for depression in older adults.Factor configurations of different dimensions of intergenerational support as a sufficient condition for depression in older adults. The consistency parameter for all solution configurations in this study is 0.83, with a coverage of 0.61. The research identifies four types of configurational patterns associated with older adults’ depression: “Unidirectional Care Deficiency Type” (consistency mean of 0.84, coverage of 0.49), “Bidirectional Care Deficiency Type” (consistency mean of 0.86, coverage of 0.33), “Bidirectional Economic Deficiency Type” (consistency mean of 0.85, coverage of 0.48), and “Mixed Type” (consistency mean of 0.83, coverage of 0.23). Conclusion Depression in older adults is influenced by the configurational effects of intergenerational support. The complex link between intergenerational support and depression in older adults should be examined from a holistic perspective, paying attention to the dynamic balance of intergenerational support reception and provision.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21532-xIntergenerational supportQlder adults’ depressionQualitative comparative analysis (QCA)Configurational effects |
| spellingShingle | Qin Bai Duanduan Fu Shichen Chen Fang Wang Baizhi Gao Jinghui Zhu Guilin Liu Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data BMC Public Health Intergenerational support Qlder adults’ depression Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) Configurational effects |
| title | Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data |
| title_full | Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data |
| title_fullStr | Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data |
| title_short | Configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression: an empirical study from CHARLS data |
| title_sort | configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults depression an empirical study from charls data |
| topic | Intergenerational support Qlder adults’ depression Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) Configurational effects |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21532-x |
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