Gender differences in the association between depressive mood and mortality: a 12-year follow-up population-based...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Depressive mood is linked to increased all-cause mortality in both genders.
• Factors like education, marital status, social support, health behaviors, and chronic diseases may influence this association.
• This study investigates gender-specific differences in the relationship between depressive mood and mortality causes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore gender differences in the association between depressive mood and specific causes of mortality.
• To identify potential mediating factors such as socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and chronic conditions.
• To inform gender-tailored preventive strategies for individuals experiencing depressive mood.

Main Methods:

• A population-based survey of 6043 individuals (2892 men, 3151 women) conducted in France.
• Data collected on demographics, social support, health behaviors (smoking, alcohol, BMI), and chronic diseases.
• Cox regression models analyzed the association between depressive mood (Duke Health Profile) and subsequent mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer) over 12.5 years.

Main Results:

• Depressive mood predicted natural all-cause mortality in both men (HR=1.30) and women (HR=1.37).
• A significant association was found between depressive mood and cardiovascular mortality in men (HR=1.63).
• Depressive mood was significantly associated with cancer mortality in women (HR=1.71).

Conclusions:

• Preventive strategies for mortality associated with depressive mood should consider gender differences.
• Men with depressive mood may require enhanced screening for cardiovascular risk factors and diseases.
• Women with depressive mood could benefit from improved cancer prevention measures.