Hearing impairment, family financial support, and depressive symptoms among Chinese middle-aged and older adults

Aims: Hearing impairment (HI) is prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, but few studies have examined its mental health consequences in China. This study investigated the association of HI with depressive symptoms and whether family financial support moderated the association among adults aged 45 in China. Methods: Data were obtained from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2013 and 2015). Hearing impairment was defined as a self-reported hearing problem in one or both ears. Depressive symptoms were measured with CESD-10. Associations between HI and depressive symptoms were modeled using fixed-effect models. Results: People with self-reported hearing loss were more likely than those without hearing loss to have depressive symptoms, with an odds ratio of 1.25 [1.07-1.47]. The association remained significant after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and health conditions. Family financial support moderated this association. Among those with HI, adults with a higher level of family financial support tend to have better performance on symptoms of depression. Conclusions: HI was positively associated with depressive symptoms among adults aged >= 45 in China, and family financial support played a buffering role in the relationship between HI and depressive symptoms.