Sex differences in changes of depressive symptoms among older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from two longitudinal cohorts

Table 2 Sex differences in the changes of CES-D scores in the HRS

	CES-D scores, LSM (95% CI)^a
	Men (n = 4312)	Women (n = 5425)	LSM differences between sexes^a	p for differences between sexes^a
Before COVID-19 pandemic
Wave 13 (2016)	0.86 (0.82 to 0.91)	0.99 (0.95 to 1.03)	0.12 (0.07 to 0.18)	< 0.001
Wave 14 (2018)	0.89 (0.85 to 0.94)	0.98 (0.91 to 1.02)	0.09 (0.03 to 0.15)	0.003
LSM differences between waves^a	0.03 (-0.01 to 0.07)	-0.01 (-0.05 to 0.03)	-0.04 (-0.09 to 0.02)	0.220
P for differences between waves^a	0.174	0.751	0.220	/
During COVID-19 pandemic
Wave 14 (2018)	0.89 (0.85 to 0.94)	0.98 (0.91 to 1.02)	0.09 (0.03 to 0.15)	0.003
Wave 15 (2020)	0.98 (0.94 to 1.03)	1.15 (1.11 to 1.19)	0.17 (0.11 to 0.24)	< 0.001
LSM differences between waves^a	0.09 (0.05 to 0.14)	0.17 (0.13 to 0.21)	0.08 (0.02 to 0.14)	0.024
P for differences between waves^a	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.024	/
During COVID-19 pandemic vs. Before COVID-19 pandemic
Differences in LSM differences between two periods^a	0.06 (-0.01 to 0.14)	0.18 (0.11 to 0.24)	0.12 (0.01 to 0.21)	0.037
P for differences in LSM differences between two periods^a	0.077	< 0.001	0.037	/

Data on sex differences in the changes of CES-D scores before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the HRS were presented
HRS Health and Retirement Study, CES-D Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression, LSM Least Squares Mean
^aafter adjusting for age, race, education, cohabitation status, current smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer at wave 14, by using linear mixed models

ISSN: 1471-2318