Neighborhood environment and depressive symptoms of older adults in Urban and Rural China: a moderated mediation model of social capital.

OBJECTIVES

Depression is increasingly prevalent among older adults in China, particularly in rural areas of China. Although social and built environments are recognized as key mental health factors, their interaction across urban and rural contexts remains understudied. This study explores the pathways linking social capital, built environments, and depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the 2016 wave of the China Family Panel Study (CFPS), including 3483 urban and 3812 rural adults aged 60 and above. The study examined the mediating and moderating roles of different levels of social capital in the relationship between neighborhood environments and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Community-level social capital partially mediated the relationship between the neighborhood environment and depressive symptoms in both urban and rural settings. However, a compensatory relationship between community and society social capital, emerged only in urban areas, indicating significant urban-rural disparities.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the ecological model of health for older adults, emphasizing the impact of built and social neighborhood environments on depressive symptoms. The findings stress the importance of addressing mutiple levels of the social environement experienced by older adults. These results have practical implications for community development, particularly in urban areas where societal-level social capital may be limited.