title: Schizophrenia in mid-adulthood after prenatal exposure to the Chinese Famine of 1959-1961.
abstract: Analyzing data from a large-scale, nationally representative sample, this study examines the association between prenatal exposure to the Chinese Famine (1959-1961) and schizophrenia risk in mid-adulthood and its urban/rural-specific and gender-specific patterns. The results showed that the cohort conceived and born during the famine had a higher risk of schizophrenia in mid-adulthood than cohorts conceived and born before or after the famine. In addition, schizophrenia risk was higher for urban residents than for rural residents and higher for females than for males. Drawing on the psychiatric features of late-onset schizophrenia in mid-adulthood, we then offer some theoretical mechanisms to explain the cohort, urban/rural, and gender differences.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Development, Central University of Finance and Economics, No. 39, College South Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China; Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3093 Lincoln Hall, 702 S. Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. Electronic address: wctpku@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cuntong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 969 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Yudong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013217:Starvation / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Chinese famine; Mid-adulthood; Prenatal malnutrition; Schizophrenia risk