The effects of leisure time physical activity on depression among older women depend on intensity and frequency

Impact of leisure physical activity and resistance exercise on the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Korean adults: Analysis of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND

Various physical activity (PA) guidelines recommend leisure PA and resistance exercise (RE). However, the impact of PA and RE on the prevalence of depressive symptoms remains unclear. We investigated whether meeting PA and RE guidelines is associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms using nationally representative samples.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 11,829 (5111 male and 6718 female) participants aged 19+ years in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016 and 2018). Those with doctor's diagnosis of depression or with a cut-off score of ≥11 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were defined as having depressive symptoms. PA and RE were measured using a validated Global PA Questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between participating in leisure PA, simultaneously meeting RE guidelines, and experiencing depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Those who participated in leisure PA and met RE guidelines had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms than those who did not (p for trend <0.001). After adjusting for covariates, those who participated in leisure PA and met RE guideline were significantly less likely to have depressive symptoms in male (OR = 0.52, 95 % CI 0.32-0.84) and female (OR = 0.71, 95 % CI 0.48-1.06), compared with those who did not participate in leisure PA but also did not meet RE guideline.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional nature of the data prevented causal claims.

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in leisure PA and RE was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. This suggests both leisure PA and RE should be encouraged as effective means for preventing depression.

The Impact of Physical Activity and Inactivity on Cardiovascular Risk across Women's Lifespan: An Updated Review

Physical inactivity (PI) represents a significant, modifiable risk factor that is more frequent and severe in the female population worldwide for all age groups. The physical activity (PA) gender gap begins early in life and leads to considerable short-term and long-term adverse effects on health outcomes, especially cardiovascular (CV) health. Our review aims to highlight the prevalence and mechanisms of PI across women's lifespan, describing the beneficial effects of PA in many physiological and pathological clinical scenarios and underlining the need for more awareness and global commitment to promote strategies to bridge the PA gender gap and limit PI in current and future female generations.

The relationship between physical activity and depression among community-dwelling adults in Wuhan, China

Background

While the association between physical activity (PA) and depression has been established, there is limited research on the effect of PA on the risk of depression among Chinese individuals. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between PA and depression among Chinese individuals.

Methods

We used a stratified random sampling approach to recruit participants from five urban districts in Wuhan, China. A total of 5,583 permanent residents aged 18 years or older completed questionnaires, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) to measure PA, and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive symptoms. To control for potential confounders, multiple logistic regression was employed to assess the association of PA with depression.

Results

The depression group had significantly lower weekly PA levels, measured in metabolic equivalent of task-minutes per week (MET-min/w), compared to the non-depression group [1,770 (693-4,200) MET-min/w vs. 2,772 (1,324-4,893) MET-min/w, p < 0.001]. In the fully adjusted model, the moderate and high PA level groups had lower odds ratios (ORs) for depressive symptoms compared to the low PA level group [OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.670 (0.523-0.858), 0.618 (0.484-0.790), respectively]. Among males, moderate and high levels of PA were associated with lower risk of depression compared to low PA levels [OR (95% CI) = 0.417 (0.268-0.649), 0.381 (0.244-0.593), respectively]. However, this association was not observed in females [OR (95% CI) = 0.827 (0.610-1.121), 0.782 (0.579-1.056), respectively]. The study found a significant interaction between PA levels and gender in relation to depression (P for interaction = 0.019).

Conclusion

The findings suggest a negative association between PA and risk of depressive symptoms, indicating that moderate to high levels of PA may serve as a protective factor against depressive symptoms.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with social support among older adults: The Brazilian National Health Survey

BACKGROUND

The study aimed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and social support measures among non-institutionalized Brazilian older adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out with data from the last National Health Survey, conducted in 2019. A descriptive analysis of the study variables was performed, followed by a multiple regression analysis to teste the association between the dependent variable (depressive symptoms, assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and independent variables (household arrangement, marital relationship, leisure activities, voluntary activity, religious activity, activities in associations/leaderships, work and receiving social support (friends and family).

RESULTS

The sample comprised 22,723 older adults and 13.1 % had depressive symptoms. There was a positive relationship between the number of people in the household and the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Individuals with support from family members only (PR 0.69; 95 % CI 0.51; 0.92) and those with support from family and friends (PR 0.53 95 % CI 0.40; 0.70) had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms than those without support. Participation in leisure and religious activities was inversely associated with depressive symptoms. A negative association was found between work and the presence of depressive symptoms (PR 0.83; 95 % CI 0.70; 0.99).

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences and the survey did not include institutionalized individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

The lower prevalence of the outcome among older adults with social support highlights the importance of evaluating these measures and practicing activities that allow personal and social interactions among this age group.

Exploratory integrated analysis of circulating exosomal miRNA and tissue mRNA related to long-term physical activity for more than 25 years: a bioinformatics study

Physical activity exerts various positive effects on both physical and mental health. Although the comprehensive expression profiles of each microRNA (miRNA) or messenger RNA (mRNA) related to physical activity have already been reported, the association between miRNA and mRNA remains unclear. Here, the integrated study was conducted to comprehensively explore the potential miRNA-mRNA relationships related to long-term physical activity over 25 years. Genome-wide public deposited mRNA expression data of adipose tissue (GSE20536) from six same-sex twin pairs (no information regarding gender) and of skeletal muscle tissue (GSE20319) from ten same-sex twin pairs (four female twin pairs) were used, and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) related to discordant leisure-time physical activity for 30 years were identified using GEO2R. Overlapped mRNAs between DEMs and predicted possible target mRNAs, based on a previous study and TargetScan tool, were then identified and used as long-term physical activity-related mRNAs targeted by miRNAs. In adipose tissue, 36 mRNAs and 42 mRNAs were identified as upregulated or downregulated DEMs, respectively. Based on the results of the overlapped analysis between DEMs and predicted possible target mRNAs targeted by miRNAs, 15 upregulated mRNAs, including NDRG4, FAM13A, ST3GAL6, and AFF1, and 10 downregulated mRNAs, including RPL14, LBP, and GLRX, were identified. In muscle tissue, three downregulated mRNAs overlapped with the predicted target mRNAs targeted by miRNAs. Fifteen upregulated mRNAs in adipose tissue showed a tendency to enrich in "Cardiovascular" in GAD_DISEASE_CLASS category. Potential miRNA-mRNA relationships related to long-term physical activity over 25 years were identified through bioinformatics analysis.

Dietary diversity, physical activity and depressive symptoms among middle-aged women: A cross-sectional study of 48,637 women in China

OBJECTIVE

Depression is the leading cause of mental health-related disease burden. This study aimed to investigate the relationship among dietary diversity, physical activity and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women.

METHOD

Based on the WHO guidelines on physical activity, subjects who meet moderate-intensity aerobic physical exercise of 150-300 min per week were qualified or otherwise unqualified. The dietary diversity scores (DDS) were developed according to the balanced diet pagoda and assessed the consumption of nine food groups. The total scores ranged from 0 to 9 and could divide into three levels: insufficient [DDS-1] (score of 1-5), moderate [DDS-2] (score of 6-7), and sufficient [DDS-3] (score of 8-9).

RESULTS

An age at menarche ≥12 years old (OR = 0.94; 95 % CI: 0.89-1.00; p < 0.05), a higher dietary diversity score [DDS-3] (OR = 0.59; 95 % CI: 0.55-0.63; p < 0.001), drinking coffee (OR = 0.88; 95 % CI: 0.84-0.92; p < 0.001), and qualified physical activity (OR = 0.69; 95 % CI: 0.66-0.72; p < 0.001) were protective factors for depressive symptoms, while an age at first birth ≤20 years old (OR = 1.23; 95 % CI: 1.12-1.36; p < 0.001) or ≥30 years old (OR = 1.18; 95 % CI: 1.11-1.26; p < 0.001), eating late-night snacks (OR = 1.44; 95 % CI: 1.36-1.52; p < 0.001), drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (OR = 1.15; 95 % CI: 1.06-1.24; p < 0.001), and overeating (OR = 2.30; 95 % CI: 2.069-2.56; p < 0.001) were risk factors.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that dietary diversity and physical activity are associated with depressive symptoms in middle-aged women. To improve dietary diversity, attention should be given to dietary patterns and dietary habits, instead of simply increasing the amount of food.

Impact of physical activity intensity on longitudinal trajectories of cognitive function and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: Eight-year prospective study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how longitudinal trajectories of cognitive function and depressive symptoms are impacted by varying levels of physical activity (PA) intensity.

METHOD

The data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative household study of the Chinese population aged 45 years and older. The sample included 5025 middle-aged and older adults (mean age = 57) who self-reported their cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and PA intensity (vigorous PA, moderate PA, and light PA) every two years from 2011 to 2018.

RESULT

On average, every 2 years, cognitive function decreased by 0.17 points (95 % CI: [-0.22, -0.12], P < 0.05), while depressive symptoms increased by 0.23 points (95 % CI: [0.19,0.27], P < 0.001). Middle-aged and older adults who reported a minimum of 6 days/week frequency of moderate PA (β = 0.14, 95 % CI:[0.01,0.27]) had lower reduction of cognitive function compared to people with none moderate PA but not vigorous PA (β = 0.04, 95 % CI:[-0.11,0.19]) and light PA (β = 0.06, 95 % CI:[-0.09,0.22]). The increase in depressive symptoms was significantly slower among middle-aged and older adults with a minimum of 6 days/week light PA (β = -0.02, 95 % CI:[-0.03,-0.002]).

CONCLUSION

A minimum of 6 days of moderate PA a week was associated with a slower reduction in cognitive function and a minimum of 6 days of light PA a week was linked to a delayed increase in depressive symptoms. In middle-aged and older adults, a tailored PA intensity may be more beneficial in achieving the maximum improvement in cognitive function and mental health.

Relationship between leisure-time physical activity and depressive symptoms under different levels of dietary inflammatory index

Depressive symptoms are major public health problems. Leisure-time Physical activity (LPA) and dietary inflammatory preference are emerging factors that tends to affect the mental health status. There is limited evidence regarding the joint influence of LPA and dietary status on the prevalence of depression. This study was a cross-sectional study, which used a nationwide represented sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to assess the relationship among LPA, diet status and depression. Depression and LPA status was reported by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ), respectively. To assess dietary inflammatory preferences, dietary inflammatory index (DII) was applied based on a 24-h dietary recall interview. A total of 11,078 subjects was included in this study and weighted participants were 89,682,020. Weighted multivariable linear regression showed that DII was negatively associated with LPA after full adjustment, with β (95% CI): −0.487 (−0.647, −0.327). Weighted multivariable logistic regression showed that LPA was significantly associated with depressive symptoms after full adjustment, with odds ratios OR (95% CIs): 0.986 (0.977, 0.995). By DII stratification analysis, this phenomenon was also existed in groups with anti-inflammatory diet. Mediation effect analysis was further performed, which showed that DII significantly mediating the association between LPA and depression with proportion mediated as 3.94%. Our findings indicated the mediating role of DII in the association between LPA condition and incident depression. More well-designed studies are still needed to validate the causal relationship.

The Associations between Daytime Physical Activity, While-in-Bed Smartphone Use, Sleep Delay, and Sleep Quality: A 24-h Investigation among Chinese College Students

Bedtime smartphone use is an emerging issue that threatens the sleep health of children and young adults. Physical activity can have numerous health benefits, including reducing problematic or addictive behavior. However, the role of daily physical activity in reducing bedtime smartphone use is understudied. Hence, we conducted a one-day cross-sectional on the weekend (21-22 May 2021) to investigate the associations between daytime physical activity, bedtime smartphone use, and sleep quality. A total of 828 college students were recruited in two colleges. Their daytime physical activity indices were captured, including self-reported physical activity duration, intensity, volume, and smartphone-monitored walking steps. The participants reported whether they used smartphone while lying in bed (before sleep) and whether they delayed sleep due to smartphone use. Their while-in-bed screen time (duration) and subsequent sleep quality were also measured with self-report and a numeric rating scale, respectively. The results suggested that daytime physical activity duration was associated with lower chances of while-in-bed smartphone use (OR = 0.907, p = 0.019) and smartphone-related sleep delay (OR = 0.932, p = 0.014). However, no significant association was found between physical activity indices and while-in-bed screen time or sleep quality. These findings may contribute to understanding the reciprocal relationship between physical activity and smartphone use and highlighting the potential of controlling problematic bedtime smartphone use through daily physical activity. Future research is warranted to examine the associations with extra objective measures.

Using Structural Equation Modeling to Examine Pathways between Physical Activity and Sleep Quality among Chinese TikTok Users

TikTok, the most popular social media, brings various benefits to nowadays living. However, the problematic use of TikTok has also elicited a range of health problems, such as sleep problems. Physical activity (PA) appears to play a protective role in the problematic use of TikTok and its health consequences, but the pathways between PA and sleep health are understudied. Therefore, we aimed to propose a framework to check whether PA can benefit the sleep health of TikTok users by reducing bedtime delays for TikTok. Stress and mental health issues were also considered as they are potential mediators between PA and sleep health and may also influence the problematic use of smartphones. A cross-sectional investigation that involved 660 Chinese TikTok users was conducted in April 2021. The volume of PA, perceived stress (PSS-10), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), bedtime delay for TikTok use, and sleep quality (PSQI) were investigated through an online questionnaire survey. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine pathways from PA to sleep quality through stress, mental health issues (depression and anxiety), and bedtime delay for TikTok. We found that PA exerted a significant effect on sleep quality through indirect pathways (β = −0.056, p = 0.001). Stress was a critical mediator of all indirect pathways, and the pathway mediated by stress and mental health issues made a major contribution to the total effect (β = −0.048, p = 0.002). The identified pathways mediated by bedtime delay for TikTok were relatively weak but significant. PA showed a distinct effect on bedtime delay for TikTok through stress and mental health issues (β = −0.043, p = 0.001). In conclusion, our framework highlights some pathways to understanding the benefits of PA on TikTok users’ sleep quality. Future research is warranted to explore extra indirect pathways and re-examine the causal relationships between variables.