title: Age and gender differences in the factor structure of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale among Japanese working individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression is a serious mental illness with a high rate of prevalence. Depressive sympotomatology is heterogeneous and is expressed as a combination of emotional, physical, cognitive, and social symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine differences in the factor structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) among Japanese working individuals of differing age and gender using exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined the factor structure of the CES-D in a sample of 6696 Japanese working individuals aged 20 and older. To examine within-group differences in the structural characteristics of the CES-D, the participants were stratified by age subgroup.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The EFA with promax rotation identified three factors among the participants. These factors were labeled "depressed and negative complaints" (DEP), "somatic and apathetic complaints" (SOM), and "positive affect" (POS). Although the three factors were comparable for males in their 20-50s and females in their 20s and 30s, the content of these factors varied for other subgroups. For females in their 40s and 50s, items 15 and 19 (belonging to Radloff's original interpersonal problem factor) constituted an independent factor. For all individuals in their 60s, items that were not included in the SOM and POS factors constituted new factors that were not observed for participants in their 20s-50s.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that age and gender could affect the factor structure of the CES-D among Japanese working individuals. Psychosocial or biological factors might contribute to the age- and gender-related differences in the factor structure of the CES-D.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan; Aomori Occupational Health Promotion Center, Aomori, Japan. Electronic address: nsuga3@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yasui-Furukori
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Ippei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuzaka
authors.affiliation: Aomori Occupational Health Promotion Center, Aomori, Japan; Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakaji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*