J Affect Disord. 2025 Aug 18:120071. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120071. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The global burden of mental disorders, particularly depression, is on the rise. Attention has been paid to the effect of outdoor air pollution on depression, but research on the harm of indoor air pollution remains limited, especially the change of depression status. In addition, the comorbidity of pain and depression is more noteworthy.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between solid fuel use and depressive trajectories, using nationally representative cohort data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, and tested the association in subgroups with or without pain comorbidities, as well as potential high-risk groups.
METHODS: We determined the optimal depression trajectories using the latent growth mixture model. Subsequently, we employed the multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the correlations between solid fuel use and depressive trajectories, in parallel with the effect on comorbidities pain subgroups. Furthermore, we investigated the correlations between the frequency of solid fuel uses and the change in household fuel type with depression trajectories over time, as observed in the four surveys. Finally, we explored potential high-risk groups.
RESULTS: The study included 6160 subjects. Three distinct types of depression trajectories were identified: “low-stable”, “first rise then down” and “first down then rise”. The results of multiple logistic regressions indicated that solid fuel use was linked to an increase in high depression score trajectories (“first rise then down” and “first down then rise”) and that pain may increase this risk compared to the pain-free group. Additionally, the risk of high depression score trajectories increased with solid fuel use across the four waves of the survey.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of solid fuel in China is related to an elevated risk of depression and further affects the pain comorbidities of depression. The transition to cleaner fuels is proposed to be a significant and necessary measure.
PMID:40835189 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.120071
