The relationship between childhood hunger experiences and activities of daily living disability: a mediating role of depression

Hunger is an important public health issue. This study aims to explore the impact of childhood hunger experiences (CHEs) on activities of daily living (ADL) disability and to discover the mediating role of depression on this correlation.

Data were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2020. Depression was assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. ADL disability, basic ADL (BADL) disability and instrumental ADL (IADL) disability were assessed using the ADL scale. The relationships between CHEs, depression and ADL disability were estimated using probit methods, and the mediating effect of depression was estimated using the stepwise regression test and bootstrap methods.

A total of 9,905 sample were included in the study. The study found that CHEs increased ADL disability by approximately 9.1% (β = 0.091, 95% CI: 0.028, 0.154), and increased the probability of IADL disability by approximately 8.0% (β = 0.080, 95% CI: 0.016, 0.144). CHEs increased ADL disability by approximately 29.8% (β = 0.298, 95% CI: 0.202, 0.393) in samples under 60 years of age. CHEs indirectly increased ADL (β = 0.062, 95% CI: 0.000, 0.124) by increasing the probability of depression.

CHEs predicted ADL disability, and depression mediated this correlation. There is a need to focus on the impact of CHEs on mental and physical health. In particular, focusing on mental health is necessary to prevent impairment of physical functioning.