Objective To determine the prevalence and determinants of depressive symptoms in visually impaired mid- and old-aged populations. Methods Data were extracted from the 2013 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study database. A total of 1 462 mid- and old-aged respondents reported visual problems. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Results The study participants had an average age of (65±10) years. About 45.6% reported depression symptoms, with an average CES-D score of 10±7. The respondents aged between 55 and 64 years 〔odds ratio (OR)=1.679)〕, women (OR=1.310), and those who had shorter sleeping (OR=1.570) were more likely to have depressive symptoms than others (P<0.05). Lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (P<0.05) was found in the respondents who resided in urban areas (OR=0.480), had no chronic disease (OR=0.534), had no other disabilities (OR=0.570), perceived better general health (OR=0.324), reported better memory (OR=0.380), and expressed better life satisfaction (OR=0.126). Conclusion Visually impaired mid- and old-aged people have high prevalence of depressive symptoms. Age, gender, residency, chronic conditions, self-rated general health, other disabilities, sleeping deprivation, memory, and life satisfaction are determinants of the prevalence of depressive symptoms.
