Depressive symptoms and their gastrointestinal correlates: A nationwide observational study in the Chinese middle-aged and elderly population with nonmalignant gastrointestinal disorders.

The pathophysiological interplay between depressive symptoms and benign upper gastrointestinal (UGI) disorders encompassing peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, duodenitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease remains incompletely defined. These chronic inflammatory conditions impose a substantial health burden on Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults, yet the temporal relationship linking depressive symptomatology to disease onset remains underexplored. This nationally representative cohort study seeks to address this critical knowledge gap through longitudinal analysis. This national population-based cohort study utilized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data. Depressive symptoms were ascertained via the validated 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression instrument; benign UGI disorders were defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed conditions. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models evaluated longitudinal associations. The longitudinal cohort comprised 4889 adults (48.4% female; mean age 59.6 ± 9.6 years). Adjusted analyses demonstrated dose-dependent associations: moderate and severe depressive symptoms conferred 1.419-fold (95% confidence interval 1.150-1.752) and 1.811-fold (95% confidence interval 1.021-3.035) elevated risks, respectively. Threshold analysis identified Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scores > 9 as clinically significant risk determinants (nonlinear P = .832). Elevated depressive symptomatology emerged as modifiable risk determinants for clinically significant risks of incident benign UGI disorders; a critical association particularly evident among community-dwelling Chinese adults (≥ 45 years).