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Exercise did not affect adolescents' risk for depression
Exercise had an insignificant effect on adolescents’ risk for depressive symptoms in a longitudinal, large population-based cohort study recently published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Umar Toseeb, PhD, of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues assessed associations between physical activity and feelings of depression among 736 adolescents between November 2005 and January 2010. Individually calibrated heart rate and movement sensing determined physical activity at baseline, when study participants had a mean age of 14.5 years. Study participants completed the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and a Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version interview at baseline and 3 years later.
No measures of physical activity at baseline predicted depressive symptoms at 3-year follow-up: moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekend days (P=.79), moderate to vigorous physical activity on week days (P=.99); physical activity energy expenditure on weekend days (P=.75), and physical activity energy expenditure on week days (P=.71).
Similarly, physical activity at baseline did not predict depressive disorder diagnosis at follow-up: moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekend days (OR=1.37; 95% CI, 0.76-2.48), moderate to vigorous physical activity on week days (OR=1.33; 95% CI, 0.74-2.37), physical activity energy expenditure on weekend days (OR=1.19; 95% CI, 0.67-2.10), and physical activity energy expenditure on week days (OR=0.92; 95% CI, 0.52-1.63).
Study participants in the moderate means and financially strained groups had higher scores on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire at baseline, compared with those who were financially comfortable (P=.002) and those considered wealthy (P=.001). Mood and Feelings Questionnaire scores at follow-up did not differ between socioeconomic statuses.
Normal-weight adolescents participated in moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekend days (P=.04) and weekdays (P=.03) more than their obese peers. However, these differences did not exist when assessing week day and weekend day physical activity energy expenditure or Mood and Feelings Questionnaire scores at baseline.
Overall, boys were more active than girls regarding weekend moderate to vigorous physical activity (P<.01), weekday moderate to vigorous physical activity (P<.01), weekend physical activity energy expenditure (P<0.01) and weekday physical activity energy expenditure (P<.01).
Pre-pubertal children were more active than pubertal adolescents regarding weekend moderate to vigorous physical activity (P<.001), week day moderate to vigorous physical activity (P<.001), weekend physical activity energy expenditure (P<.001) and week day physical activity energy expenditure (P<.001).
“In this sample of adolescents, no association was found between the levels of physical activity at 14 years of age and depressive outcomes at 17 years of age,” the researchers wrote. “Although it is important to promote physical activity because of its well-documented effect on physical health, during adolescence, physical activity may not serve as a strong protective factor of developing depressive symptoms or disorders.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
