Smoking and depressive symptoms in Chinese elderly in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between smoking and depressive symptoms among Chinese elderly in Hong Kong.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data on smoking and depressive symptoms from 56,167 Chinese elderly aged 65 or over in Hong Kong were analysed using logistic regression.


RESULTS
Current smokers and former smokers were more likely to have depressive symptoms than never smokers. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in males and females respectively were 1.62 (1.34-1.96) and 1.43 (1.20-1.70) for current smokers, and were 1.18 (0.99-1.40) and 1.29 (1.12-1.47) for former smokers. Former smokers were less likely to have depressive symptoms than current smokers (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70-0.92).


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking is positively associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese elderly. Health care workers should be vigilant about the detection of depressive symptoms in elderly smokers.
Department of Community Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. commed@hkucc.hku.hk
T H
TH
Lam
Z B
ZB
Li
S Y
SY
Ho
W M
WM
Chan
K S
KS
Ho
M P
MP
Li
G M
GM
Leung
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires