title: Effect of subjective economic status on psychological distress among farmers and non-farmers of rural China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to compare the prevalence of psychological distress between farmers and non-farmers of rural China. Further, this examines the effect of subjective economic status on psychological distress and whether this effect varies between farmers and non-farmers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design is a cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in 27 villages of Dongying City in Shandong Province.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural employed people included 1433 farmers and 584 non-farmers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychological distress was assessed by the Kessler 10 questionnaire, and subjective economic status was assessed by a single question.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the farmers did not report significantly higher prevalence of psychological distress than non-farmers (31.13% versus 30.01%). However, the farmers aged 51-70 years did report significantly higher psychological distress than their non-farmer counterparts (33.4% versus 24.2%, P = 0.04). Second, subjective economic status had a significant (β = -0.28, P < 0.001) effect on psychological distress. Finally, subjective economic status exerted a stronger effect on psychological distress among farmers (β = 0.30, P < 0.001) than among non-farmers (β = 0.20, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The farmers had a comparable prevalence of psychological distress when compared with non-farmers in rural China. Subjective economic status exerted a significant effect on the psychological distress of rural employed people, and this effect was stronger for the farmers than for the non-farmers.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Danjun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Linqin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management and Maternal and Child Healthcare, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Lingzhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000067565:Farmers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; farmers; psychological distress; subjective economic status