The effects of mid-life socioeconomic disadvantage and perceived social support on trajectories of subsequent depressive symptoms among older Taiwanese women

Table 1 Sample characteristics at 1996, Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA)

	% or mean (SD)
*Mid-life SES*
Education attainment
No formal education	45.29
Formal education
1-6 years	40.73
7-9 years	8.01
10 years and above	5.96
Adulthood major occupation
Higher white collar	9.78
Medium-level	9.78
Blue collar	48.89
Unemployed	31.55
Employment status
Full-time job	27.77
No full-time job	27.96
Housekeeper	44.27
Economic strain	25.26
*Perceived social support*
Positive perception of social support
Listening	72.60
Caring	84.90
Sick care	82.20
*Individual characteristics*
Age	57.74 (4.74)
*Psychological distress*
Depressive symptomatology
Negative affect (0–24)	3.59 (4.68)
Lack of positive affect (0–6)	2.01 (2.28)
N	1073

ISSN: 1471-2458