Body Pain, Depression, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Among Older Adults in China: Do Parent-Child Relationships Matter?

Guided by the biopsychosocial model, this study used data from 8,247 older Chinese adults (mean age = 67.98 years) to examine whether depression mediates the association between body pain and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability, and whether parent-child relationships moderate this pathway. Results indicated that body pain was associated with greater depression, which predicted higher IADL disability. Stronger parent-child relationships buffered both the body pain-depression and depression-IADL disability links. These findings highlight the potential of enhancing parent-child relationships to mitigate the psychological and functional consequences of body pain among older adults.