Homework 5

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of various social determinants on depression levels among Slovenian participants, using data from the 11th round of the European Social Survey (ESS). Depression was measured via the CES-D8 scale, and five predictors were analyzed: age, gender, childhood financial difficulties, social support, and fruit consumption. Statistical analysis using R software included bivariate tests (Chi-Square, t-tests, ANOVA) and multivariate regression models. The results reveal that gender and childhood financial hardship significantly predict higher depression scores, with women and those who faced early-life financial difficulties reporting more depressive symptoms. Contrary to prior research, age showed a weak positive association with depression, while social support and fruit consumption did not demonstrate significant effects. These findings suggest that economic and gender-related factors have a stronger impact on depression than lifestyle behaviors. The study highlights the importance of considering socioeconomic context in mental health interventions and recommends future research with longitudinal designs and additional variables for a more comprehensive understanding.

#Selected country is Slovenia.
df_sl = df[df$cntry=="Slovenia",]

## $alpha
## [1] 0.8248442

Boxplot

Core Message

This boxplot illustrates the distribution of depression scores by gender among Slovenian participants. It shows that females have a higher median depression score than males, along with more variability and extreme outliers. This visual supports the hypothesis that women report higher levels of depression than men, aligning with the statistical analysis and existing literature.

Appearance

The graphic should be a boxplot that displays the distribution of depression scores across gender groups.
Type of plot: Boxplot
Y: Depression score (CES-D8)
X: Gender (Male, Female)
Grouping: By gender (using color to visually differentiate the two groups)
Visual elements:
- Box shows the interquartile range (25th–75th percentile)
- Horizontal line inside box = median depression score
- Whiskers indicate the range within 1.5× IQR
- Dots represent outliers (individuals with unusually high depression scores)

This plot allows for a clear comparison of the central tendency, spread, and outliers in depression scores between men and women.

Graph

  ggplot(df_sl, aes(x = as.factor(gndr), y = depression)) +
    geom_boxplot(fill = c("deepskyblue", "cornflowerblue"), width = .4) +
    labs(title="Depression by Gender",
         subtitle= "ESS Round 11",
         x= "Gender",
         y= "Depression Score",
         caption= "MSW", 
         fill="Gender") +
    theme_minimal()