• Lili Ji, Xiaoxia Qiao, Yaru Jin, Huaxin Si, Xinyi Liu, and Cuili Wang.
• School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.
• Pain Manag Nurs. 2021 Dec 1; 22 (6): 747-754.

PurposeTo examine the "age-related positivity effect" and its sex differences in the pain-depression relationship among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.DesignCross-sectional design.MethodsThe study was conducted with a sample of 1,913 older adults in Jinan, China. Data were collected on pain intensity, age, sex, depressive symptoms, and potential covariates.ResultsThe hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that pain intensity was significantly related to depressive symptoms, there was a significant two-way interaction between age and pain intensity, and there was a significant three-way interaction between sex, age, and pain intensity. The Johnson-Neyman plot revealed that the relationship between pain and depressive symptoms decreased with advancing age, indicating an "age-related positivity effect." And the age-related positivity effect in the pain-depression relationship was significant only in men, but not in women.ConclusionsThe study suggests that all older women and "young-old" men (younger senior citizens aged 60-79) in China are more likely to experience depressive symptoms from pain. Interventions on cognitive psychology should particularly target all older women and young-old men to reduce the detrimental effect of pain on emotional well-being.Copyright © 2021 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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