TY  - JOUR
AU  - Boparai, Josheil K
AU  - Dunnett, Sarah
AU  - Wu, Michelle
AU  - Tassone, Vanessa K
AU  - Duffy, Sophie F
AU  - Zuluaga Cuartas, Valentina
AU  - Chen, Ziming
AU  - Jung, Hyejung
AU  - Sabiston, Catherine M
AU  - Lou, Wendy
AU  - Bhat, Venkat
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/7/5
TI  - The Association Between Depressive Symptoms and the Weekly Duration of Physical Activity Subset by Intensity and Domain: Population-Based, Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey From 2007 to 2018
JO  - Interact J Med Res
SP  - e48396
VL  - 13
KW  - depressive disorder
KW  - exercise
KW  - physical activity intensity
KW  - recreational physical activity
KW  - work-related physical activity
KW  - National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
KW  - NHANES
KW  - nutrition surveys
KW  - recreational activity
KW  - physical activity
KW  - depression
AB  - Background: Prior literature suggests a dose-response relationship between physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms. The intensity and domain of PA are suggested to be critical to its protective effect against depression; however, existing literature has shown mixed results. Objective: The purpose of this population-based study is to examine the associations between depressive symptoms and weekly duration of (1) total PA and (2) PA subset by intensity, domain, or both. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2018 was conducted using multivariable logistic and linear regression models and survey weights. Participants (N=29,730) were 20 years and older and completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire and Depression Screener. The primary outcome was the presence of depressive symptoms, and the secondary outcomes were cognitive-affective and somatic symptoms of depression. Results: Participants (N=29,730) had a weighted mean age of 47.62 (SD 16.99) years, and 15,133 (51.34%) were female. On average, participants without depressive symptoms engaged in 10.87 hours of total PA per week, whereas participants with depressive symptoms engaged in 8.82 hours (P<.001). No significant associations were seen between the weekly duration of total PA and depressive symptom odds, somatic, or cognitive-affective symptoms (all P>.05). Participants with an increased weekly duration of recreational PA had decreases in depressive symptom odds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.965, 95% CI 0.944-0.986) and in somatic (adjusted coefficient [aβ]=–0.016, 95% CI –0.022 to –0.009) and cognitive-affective (aβ=–0.015, 95% CI –0.023 to –0.007) symptoms. When recreational PA was subset by intensity, participants with an increased weekly duration of vigorous-intensity recreational PA had decreases in depressive symptom odds (aOR 0.926, 95% CI 0.883-0.972) and in somatic (aβ=–0.021, 95% CI –0.032 to –0.010) and cognitive-affective (aβ=–0.022, 95% CI –0.035 to –0.009) symptoms. However, significant associations were not seen for the weekly duration of work-related, moderate- or vigorous-intensity PAs (all P>.05). Conclusions: Findings suggest that recreational, not work-related PA is associated with reduced symptoms of depression. Future studies should explore the impact of the different types and contexts of PA on depressive symptomatology. 
SN  - 1929-073X
UR  - https://www.i-jmr.org/2024/1/e48396
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/48396
DO  - 10.2196/48396
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/48396
ER  -