Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults

Abstract This study harnesses machine learning to dissect the complex socioeconomic determinants of depression risk among older adults across five international cohorts (HRS, ELSA, SHARE, CHARLS, MHAS). Evaluating six predictive algorithms, XGBoost demonstrated superior performance in four cohorts (...

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Main Authors: Can Lu, Shenwei Wan, Zhiyong Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:npj Digital Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01905-7
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author Can Lu
Shenwei Wan
Zhiyong Liu
author_facet Can Lu
Shenwei Wan
Zhiyong Liu
author_sort Can Lu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study harnesses machine learning to dissect the complex socioeconomic determinants of depression risk among older adults across five international cohorts (HRS, ELSA, SHARE, CHARLS, MHAS). Evaluating six predictive algorithms, XGBoost demonstrated superior performance in four cohorts (AUC 0.7677–0.8771), while LightGBM excelled in ELSA (AUC 0.9011). SHAP analyses identified self-rated health as the predominant predictor, though key factors varied notably—gender was especially influential in MHAS. Stratified analyses by income and sex revealed marked heterogeneity: wealth, employment, digital inclusion, and marital status exerted greater influence in lower-income groups, with distinct gender-specific patterns. These findings highlight machine learning’s capacity to reveal nuanced, context-dependent risk profiles beyond traditional models, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions that address the diverse vulnerabilities of aging populations, particularly those socioeconomically disadvantaged.
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spelling doaj-art-9eea841d255f47c7811096bf6bbf16502025-08-20T03:43:30ZengNature Portfolionpj Digital Medicine2398-63522025-08-018111210.1038/s41746-025-01905-7Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adultsCan Lu0Shenwei Wan1Zhiyong Liu2School of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologySchool of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of ChinaSchool of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyAbstract This study harnesses machine learning to dissect the complex socioeconomic determinants of depression risk among older adults across five international cohorts (HRS, ELSA, SHARE, CHARLS, MHAS). Evaluating six predictive algorithms, XGBoost demonstrated superior performance in four cohorts (AUC 0.7677–0.8771), while LightGBM excelled in ELSA (AUC 0.9011). SHAP analyses identified self-rated health as the predominant predictor, though key factors varied notably—gender was especially influential in MHAS. Stratified analyses by income and sex revealed marked heterogeneity: wealth, employment, digital inclusion, and marital status exerted greater influence in lower-income groups, with distinct gender-specific patterns. These findings highlight machine learning’s capacity to reveal nuanced, context-dependent risk profiles beyond traditional models, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions that address the diverse vulnerabilities of aging populations, particularly those socioeconomically disadvantaged.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01905-7
spellingShingle Can Lu
Shenwei Wan
Zhiyong Liu
Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults
npj Digital Medicine
title Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults
title_full Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults
title_fullStr Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults
title_full_unstemmed Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults
title_short Determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle-aged and older adults
title_sort determinants of depressive symptoms in multinational middle aged and older adults
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01905-7
work_keys_str_mv AT canlu determinantsofdepressivesymptomsinmultinationalmiddleagedandolderadults
AT shenweiwan determinantsofdepressivesymptomsinmultinationalmiddleagedandolderadults
AT zhiyongliu determinantsofdepressivesymptomsinmultinationalmiddleagedandolderadults