Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Correlates of depressive symptoms in late middle -aged Taiwanese women: Findings fro m 
the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey  
 
Version: 1 Date: 19 Jun 2016  
 
Reviewer: Maria Elena Lacruz de Diego  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
In the manuscript "Association between diabetes and depressive symptoms in postmenopausal 
women: findings from the 20 09 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey" the authors seek to 
determine the association between diabetes and depressive symptomatology in postmenopausal 
Taiwanese women in a population -based sample. Both conditions are relevant public health 
issues. Howe ver, there is no lack of publications in this respect. Thus, although methodologically 
sound, I had a major concern: the study results do not seem to provide sufficiently novel 
information.  
 
Several other points require also attention:  
Methods  
1. How do yo u define "regular menstruation" (page 6, line 17).  
2. The information about the informed consent from study participants is confusing (page 6, 
line 30).  
3. What exactly does "adequate" reliability and validity mean? (page 7, line 20). Please 
substantiate i t with numbers.  
4. BMI, smoking, alcohol and sport are not socio -demographic factors (page 7, lines 33 -40). 
5. How did you define marital status? And what is the difference between married and 
living together? (page 7, last line).  
6. Which method for choo sing confounders was used? Which confounders were taken into 
consideration? (page 8, line 39)  
7. How did you weight the data? Was it age -standardized and only for women? (page 8, line 
39) 
 
Results  
1. Table 1 should be a description of the study population.  There is no need for analysis in 
that table.  
2. In the title of tables 1 and 2 you mentioned "women who had not used hormonal 
replacement therapy". However in the "response to reviewers" you mentioned that those 
were all women "without excluding women who … had used hormone replacement 
therapy".  
3. How was done the adjustment for Table 2: significant variables or all variables in table 1? 
(page 9, line 23). Why are there different numbers in table 1 and table 2 (for example, 39 
not living alone are 79.1% in table 1 and 79.6% in table 2).  
 
 
Discussion  
1. How sure are you that "diabetes" in your population reflects only diabetes type 2, or 
could it also be diabetes type 1? (page 12, line 51)  
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If no t, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by t he data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, ple ase specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publi cation of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you curr ently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any  other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please g ive details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
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