Philipp Jaehn1, Natalia Bobrova2, Lyudmila Saburova3, Alexander V Kudryavtsev4, Sofia Malyutina5, Sarah Cook6. 1. Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Hochstraße 15, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. Electronic address: philipp.jaehn@mhb-fontane.de. 2. Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Natalia.Bobrova@lshtm.ac.uk. 3. Institute of Philosophy and Law, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 8th of March Street, Ekaterinburg, 620990, Russian Federation. Electronic address: sabur@udm.ru. 4. Northern State Medical University, Troitsky Prospekt 51, Arkhangelsk, 163000, Russian Federation; Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway. Electronic address: ispha09@gmail.com. 5. Research Institute of Internal and Preventive Medicine, Branch of Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, B. Bogatkova 175/1, Novosibirsk, 630089, Russian Federation; Novosibirsk State Medical University, Russian Ministry of Health, Krasnyy Prospekt 52, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russian Federation. Electronic address: smalyutina@hotmail.com. 6. Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway. Electronic address: Sarah.Cook@lshtm.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Reported traditional gender role attitudes (GRAs) have been related to worse mental health in western countries. This study examined the link of GRAs with symptoms of depression and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in two Russian cities. METHODS: We used interview data from the cross-sectional Know Your Heart Study conducted among 5099 adults aged 35-69 in the Russian cities of Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk between 2015 and 2017. Attitudes about gender inequality and division of labour between women and men at home or in the public sphere were measured by single items. Binary variables indicating presence of symptoms of depression and GAD were defined by a cut-off of ≥ 5 of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine crude and adjusted associations. RESULTS: There was evidence that all types of GRAs were associated with symptoms of depression and GAD consistent with a U-shape after controlling for confounding with stronger evidence for all relationships for depression than for GAD. Odds of depressive symptoms were elevated among participants strongly agreeing to gender inequality and gender division of labour. There was good evidence for effect measure modification by age. LIMITATIONS: The possibilities of measurement error of the exposure and outcomes, residual confounding and reverse causality are important limitations of this study. CONCLUSIONS: Agreeing to gender inequality and gender division of labour was associated with reporting symptoms of common mental disorders in Russia. This study adds evidence for a link of GRAs with mental health from a non-western context.
BACKGROUND: Reported traditional gender role attitudes (GRAs) have been related to worse mental health in western countries. This study examined the link of GRAs with symptoms of depression and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in two Russian cities. METHODS: We used interview data from the cross-sectional Know Your Heart Study conducted among 5099 adults aged 35-69 in the Russian cities of Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk between 2015 and 2017. Attitudes about gender inequality and division of labour between women and men at home or in the public sphere were measured by single items. Binary variables indicating presence of symptoms of depression and GAD were defined by a cut-off of ≥ 5 of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine crude and adjusted associations. RESULTS: There was evidence that all types of GRAs were associated with symptoms of depression and GAD consistent with a U-shape after controlling for confounding with stronger evidence for all relationships for depression than for GAD. Odds of depressive symptoms were elevated among participants strongly agreeing to gender inequality and gender division of labour. There was good evidence for effect measure modification by age. LIMITATIONS: The possibilities of measurement error of the exposure and outcomes, residual confounding and reverse causality are important limitations of this study. CONCLUSIONS: Agreeing to gender inequality and gender division of labour was associated with reporting symptoms of common mental disorders in Russia. This study adds evidence for a link of GRAs with mental health from a non-western context.
Authors: Kamila Kholmatova; Alexandra Krettek; David A Leon; Sofia Malyutina; Sarah Cook; Laila A Hopstock; Ola Løvsletten; Alexander V Kudryavtsev Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-08-01 Impact factor: 4.614